Plenary session date to be set for House censure

Plenary session date to be set for House censure

JAKARTA (JP): Six factions of the House of Representatives
agreed on Wednesday to let the House's Consultative Body set a
date for a plenary session on the issuance of a second memorandum
of censure against President Abdurrahman Wahid.

The Consultative Body will on Thursday decide the date of the
plenary session.

However, the largest House faction, the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), demanded that the plenary
session be used to thoroughly evaluate the President's
performance, instead of to issue a second memorandum.

In a letter signed by faction chairman Arifin Panigoro and
read out by a House staffer, PDI Perjuangan said that the House
was competing with time.

The House will start its recess at the end of the month until
April 24, giving the President time to respond to the first
memorandum issued on Feb. 1. The deadline for the President to
respond is May 1.

It was reported that the six factions, including PDI
Perjuangan, had drafted a second memorandum even though
Abdurrahman has yet to reply the first one.

The other five factions -- the Golkar Party faction, the
Reform faction, the United Development Party (PPP) faction, the
Crescent Star Party (PBB) faction and the United Ummat
Sovereignty (F-PDU) faction -- remained determined on Wednesday.

The five factions consider Abdurrahman's refusal to cut short
an overseas trip at a time when ethnic rivalry in Central
Kalimantan was raging and his deviant remarks concerning being
censured as strong reasons to issue a second memorandum.

After the session, PDI Perjuangan faction secretary Heri
Akhmadi told journalists that his faction preferred to decide on
the mechanism of the memorandum process before talking about
issuing a second memorandum.

"We have to set the mechanism first. How the House would
evaluate the President's response (to the first memorandum), and
then discuss the substance," Heri said, adding that discussing
a second memorandum could be premature.

Separately, House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung
said that the President should submit a written answer to the
House, which would become the main consideration of whether a
second censure would be issued.

The first memorandum was issued by the House over the
allegation that the President was involved in the State Logistics
Agency (Bulog) and Brunei scandals.

Meanwhile, a statement from a Bruneian political party was
released to reporters here, saying that the money in question was
not from the sultanate, but from the Bruneian royal family.

Akbar said that he had yet to receive a letter from the party.

Dispute

On a separate occasion on Wednesday, Coordinating Minister for
Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
warned that prolonged bickering between the nation's leaders
could threaten the country's unity.

"The conflict at the elite level, which involves their
respective supporters, is endangering the nation's unity and the
people's integrity," Susilo said while briefing ambassadors and
representatives of foreign countries and international
organizations on the latest development of the political, social
and security situation in Indonesia.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab, Minister of Energy
and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs' Directorate General for Political Affairs Hasan
Wirayudha and the Indonesian Military's Strategic Intelligence
Body (Bais) deputy chief Maj. Gen. Tulus Sihombing were also
present.

Susilo said the government was currently facing three major
problems: a national leadership crisis and conflict among the
political elite, instability and insecurity, and the economic
crisis.

Susilo told the media that he had never heard that the
President was prepared to resign providing that the House could
prove he had violated the Constitution.

"I have never heard him make such a statement, either in a
Cabinet meeting or in other meetings. However, we just cannot
know all things the President has in mind," Susilo said.

Susilo was responding to a statement by Minister of Defense
Mahfud M.D that the President did not object to resigning, but
underlined that the resignation must be based on the
Constitution.

Meanwhile, Alwi said that the President was adamant that he
had no involvement whatsoever in the two scandals.

"It is quite clear that he is unwilling to resign," Alwi said.
(dja/02)