Parties doubtful of Gus Dur's impeachment

Parties doubtful of Gus Dur's impeachment

JAKARTA (JP): With support aplenty for a People's Consultative
Assembly special session to impeach President Abdurrahman Wahid,
a top official of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction in
the Assembly says signs of apprehension are visible among the
power brokers over whether to proceed with the constitutional
move.

Chairman of the PKB faction, Yusuf Muhammad, told the media at
the House of Representatives building on Tuesday that even major
factions like the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) and Golkar were uncertain about the prospect of an
MPR special session.

"All political forces are anxious to move ahead to the special
session. We, therefore, call for a settlement to the nation's
problems though political compromise," Yusuf said.

The PKB was founded by Abdurrahman, who is now the party's
chief patron.

Yusuf said that PDI Perjuangan, despite its leading role, was
half-hearted about the move to haul Abdurrahman before an MPR
special session.

"They're still not certain that they'll be able to resolve the
crisis facing the nation after assuming power. Besides, they are
still traumatized by the Axis Force maneuver," Yusuf said.

The Axis Force, a loose coalition of Muslim parties,
catapulted Abdurrahman to the presidency at Megawati's expense in
1999, but now staunchly supports her elevation to the top
executive job in place of Abdurrahman.

Yusuf said Golkar also "feels secure" under Abdurrahman,
because he allows the party to have a say in both the economic
field and the bureaucracy.

The Axis Force, according to Yusuf, will be facing a split
when it comes to the question of the vice presidency should
Megawati take over the reins of power from Abdurrahman.

"Therefore, an (Assembly) special session is just a way to
solve the problems and not the solution itself. There is a chance
of reaching political compromises," Yusuf said.

Separately, the moves of House faction leaders to convene a
special session in order to produce an effective government
gained more support, with the United Development Party (PPP)
calling for an accelerated special session.

Hamzah Haz, the chairman of PPP, said his party fully accepted
the conclusion reached by House faction leaders that
Abdurrahman's government had lost the support of the majority of
political parties and that an effective government was urgently
needed to defuse the protracted crisis.

He was speaking after a two-hour meeting with leaders of five
factions at the PPP headquarters here on Tuesday afternoon.

The faction leaders were Arifin Panigoro of PDI Perjuangan,
Syamsul Muarif of Golkar, Alimarwan Hanan of PPP, Hatta Radjasa
of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and Amiruddin Djaja Subita of
the Ummat Sovereignty Party (PDU).

The faction leaders had previously met with Yuzril Ihza
Mahendra, chairman of the Crescent Star Party (PBB), and Amien
Rais, the chairman of PAN. Both figures pledged their support for
a special session to overcome the political crisis.

Arifin, who acted as spokesman for the faction leaders, said
they would soon meet with Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri,
Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung, and Indonesian Military commander
Admiral Widodo Adi Sutjipto.

The faction leaders reiterated that they preferred a special
session as a constitutional way of resolving the political
deadlock, rather than a Cabinet reshuffle based on the parties'
representation in the House.

"The President recently offered a political compromise but the
major parties have given it the cold shoulder," said Syamsul.

Arifin dismissed a political compromise, saying the main
problem was not the cabinet but the President himself.

Meanwhile, PDI Perjuangan gave a strong signal on Tuesday that
they would support a special session, saying that the President
had yet to response to the second House censure.

Kwik Kian Gie, a senior party member, said after a meeting
with Megawati at her official residence that the President had
ignored the two memorandums of censure served on him.

"If the President provides a satisfactory response then it
will stop, but if the reply is disappointing, there will be no
other option than a special session," he said.

In Surabaya, East Java, a number of mass organizations that
claimed to be affiliated to PDI Perjuangan stated their
opposition to the proposed special session and threatened to
sever their ties with the party if their protests were ignored.

The organizations, grouped under the umbrella of the People's
Sovereignty Unity Front (Sakera), had around one million
supporters, coordinator of the movement Supriyanto claimed on
Tuesday.

He further asserted that he did not believe Megawati had given
support for a special session to impeach President Abdurrahman
Wahid. (rms/dja/emf/nur)