Parties eye more than reshuffle

Parties eye more than reshuffle

JAKARTA (JP): Major political parties stressed here on
Thursday that they wanted more than a mere Cabinet reshuffle from
embattled President Abdurrahman Wahid.

House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung said major
factions in the House preferred a full delegation of power from
the President to Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri because
other options would be too costly for the nation.

Akbar, who is also Golkar chairman, pointed out that there
were actually four options being contemplated for the President
by the political parties that supported the issuance of the
second memorandum of censure.

These were: presidential resignation or impeachment, a Cabinet
reshuffle, a full delegation of executive power to Megawati to
run the government, an expedited general election.

"If the President were impeached it would provoke conflict at
the grass roots; if the Cabinet were reshuffled the core problem
would still be Gus Dur's own leadership; it is also impossible to
hold a general election in the immediate future for numerous
reasons," explained Akbar.

The House voted by an overwhelming majority to issue a second
censure against the President on Monday, bringing him one step
closer to a possible special session of the People's Consultative
Assembly which could convene impeachment hearings.

Abdurrahman has one month to respond to the censure, and many
believe that a favorable response through a political compromise
may be the only thing that could save Abdurrahman's presidency.

Abdurrahman's political liability has further increased, with
the usually timid Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) chairperson Megawati taking the initiative to convene
a gathering of party leaders to discuss the next political step.

Secretary-general of PDI Perjuangan Soetjipto also dismissed
on Thursday the option of a Cabinet reshuffle, saying it would do
little to solve the problem.

"The core problem is the President himself and not his Cabinet
as the two previous Cabinet reshuffles have proved," he said.

Soetjipto said the party believed the President's poor
management of government was also influenced by his health
condition.

"If a man has suffered several strokes he must be unstable,"
Soetjipto said about the blind President.

Asked to comment on the increasing calls for Megawati to take
the initiative in replacing Abdurrahman, Soetjipto replied that
the party was not in the position of trying to take power.

"Megawati is not greedy for power. If she eventually accepts
power it will be due to force majeure. But we are not
opportunists," he said.

Abdurrahman, in his first public statement since the censure
on Wednesday, skirted the issue of the memorandum and instead
reminded the House to deal with its own backlog of work.

Akbar expressed on Thursday his dissatisfaction with the
President's televised speech.

"The House was waiting for a positive response in his speech.
But on the contrary, he berated the House for neglecting its
legislative function," Akbar noted.

"A special session will be inevitable if the President
continues taking such a stand," Akbar warned.

Meeting

All eyes are now on what will happen in the next few days,
particularly Saturday's Cabinet meeting, which both Abdurrahman
and Megawati are due to attend. Another key event will be the PDI
Perjuangan-sponsored political meeting expected next week.

Syamsul Muarif, chairman of the Golkar faction in the House,
revealed that Megawati might host the meeting at her private
residence in Kebagusan, South Jakarta.

Bachtiar Chamsyah, deputy chairman of PPP, confirmed that PPP
chairman Hamzah Haz would attend.

"Our main target is to replace Gus Dur and we will support
Megawati leading the nation," said Bachtiar.

Separately, Supreme Advisory Council Chairman Achmad
Tirtosudiro believes there is still hope yet for Abdurrahman.

"If the President can improve his performance and avoid making
controversial statements, then it is possible the situation could
change within one month," Achmad said, after meeting with the
Vice President at the Merdeka Selatan Palace.

Meanwhile in Semarang, Nahdlatul Ulama's (NU) Syuriah (law
making body) chairman Said Aqil Siradj, said NU members would
accept the censure, no matter how bitter.

Said urged that Abdurrahman respond positively by improving
his administration's performance, including the eradication of
corruption and the restoration of security and public order.

Diponegoro University Rector Eko Budihardjo criticized
politicians who called for Abdurrahman's resignation, including
Assembly speaker Amien Rais.

"It was Amien who championed Gus Dur's election. Thus as a
gentleman he should also resign, along with the President," said
Eko, who is also chairman of the Rectors Forum. (rms/dja/har/45)