'Opposition is unconstitutional'

'Opposition is unconstitutional'

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid called on the nation
on Monday to stick to the Constitution amid growing demands for
his resignation.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Organization of Islamic
Countries (OIC) summit in Doha, the President said he was not
turning a deaf ear to the demands, but reminded that they should
be raised in accordance with the existing laws.

"The law stipulates that the only party allowed to investigate
a president is the People's Consultative Assembly through a
special session recommended by the House of Representatives in a
plenary session," said President Abdurrahman.

The President made the statement in response to repeated calls
for his resignation at home. About 1,000 protesters rallied at
the House compound on Monday demanding that Abdurrahman resign
for failing to fix the country's ailing economy and to end bloody
separatist and sectarian conflicts.

A group of legislators who met in an informal meeting
sponsored by former coordinating minister for economy, finance
and industry Kwik Kian Gie on Saturday were the latest prominent
politicians to call for the President's exit.

Abdurrahman said he would not go further in responding to
domestic pressure for fear that it would only worsen the
situation.

Earlier in the day, the President said his possible
resignation depended much on the evaluation by the House of his
leadership and of the government's performance.

A palace spokesman, Yahya Cholil Staquf, who accompanied the
President during his visit in Doha, said Gus Dur, as the
President is called, wanted the demand to be processed properly
in accordance with the Constitution to avoid unnecessary unrest
in the society.

He said the President would welcome whatever was the result of
the House's evaluation on the government's performance.

"The President wants the House and all sides to use measurable
criteria to judge how the government fares," Antara quoted Yahya
as saying.

According to the President, many of the criticisms surfaced
without concrete indicators, turning a blind eye to the
government's successes, especially in export as recognized by the
IMF.

"Many people do not know about the achievement because it is
never shared with the public," said Yahya.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said in a 50-minute meeting
with Gus Dur outside the OIC meeting on Sunday that he could
understand the numerous problems his government was facing at
home.

Yahya said the two figures were involved in a serious
discussion on numerous problems, including violent conflicts in
Aceh, Irian Jaya and Maluku and East Timorese refugees.

Yahya said Annan also appreciated the progress achieved by Gus
Dur's government in the economic field.

"You're doing very well," Yahya quoted Annan as saying.

In Jakarta, House Speaker Akbar Tandjung asserted that the
conclusion that was reached in the legislators's meeting did not
represent the House of Representatives because all participants
spoke in their personal capacity.

"The meeting's results, including the call for Gus Dur's
resignation, do not represent the House. They are the thoughts of
citizens," said Akbar, also chairman of the Golkar Party.

He said however the call could be channeled to the House
through their respective factions in the legislative body.

He said the House would decide its stance whether to accept or
reject the result of Saturday's meeting after receiving and
discussing it in a plenary session.

Abdul Kholiq Achmad, secretary of the National Awakening Party
(PKB) faction at the House, dismissed the call for the
president's resignation, saying the meeting was used by
"political opportunists" to topple the legitimate government.

"It's not new. It just confirms our earlier assumption that it
is just a solid attempt by certain politicians to topple the
government," he said.

He conceded the meeting was sincerely arranged by Kwik for
good purposes, but then it was engineered by certain politicians,
such as House Deputy Speaker A.M. Fatwa, legislator Alvin Lie --
both from the National Mandate Party (PAN) -- and Golkar
legislator Ade Komaruddin, to air demands that have been
frequently made by other politicians.

He said PKB regretted that the meeting had failed to provide
alternative solutions to all the problems facing the nation,
saying the President's resignation would not settle the issues.

"The meeting should have given a new hope for people, but it
did not," he remarked.

Abdul Kholiq hoped that Kwik and other legislators from the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) should
bear in mind how "the axis force", an alliance of several
minority Muslim parties, rejected the nomination of their leader
Megawati Soekarnoputri in last year's presidential election.
(rms/jun)