Plots to hasten MPR session abound

JAKARTA (JP): Political plots to expedite a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly, which could open the way for the impeachment of President Abdurrahman Wahid, abounded on Monday as politicians conferred and negotiated on possible courses of action.

While closed-door meetings have apparently yet to produce an agreed upon sanctioned course to take, top politicians were unabashed in openly expressing their desire to seek avenues to circumvent conventional rules for the convening of a special session.

Leading figures of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Golkar Party, United Development Party (PPP) National Mandate Party (PAN), Crescent Stars Party (PBB) and Justice Party (PK) met here on Monday evening to discuss the latest developments.

Details of the gathering were sketchy, with some suggesting the discussion ranged from an exchange of views on the security situation caused by the political tension to ways to hasten the convening of a special session.

PAN chairman Amien Rais claimed that besides discussing security, those in attendance also held a "discourse" on the possibility of speeding up the process for holding a special session.

"We also discussed the possibility of speeding up a special session of the Assembly if the House memorandum ignites prolonged political uncertainty and turmoil," said Amien, who is also the speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly.

"But the main point is that all of the political leaders are concerned by what has been happening recently in East Java, so we are going to issue a communique," he said without elaborating.

Those who attended the meeting included Arifin Panigoro, Soetjipto and Sophaan Sophian from PDI Perjuangan, Syamsul Muarif from Golkar Party, Hamzah Haz and Ali Marwan Hanan from PPP, A.M. Fatwa of PAN, Yusril Ihza Mahendra from PBB and Hidayat Noer Wahid of PK.

The House of Representatives censured President Abdurrahman Wahid last week for his alleged involvement in two financial scandals and agreed to issue a memorandum.

However, under the memorandum process it takes up to four months before the House can propose a special session of the Assembly be held to begin steps to impeach the President.

The political antagonism has seeped down to political party supporters, who have held mass rallies and gone so far as to attack offices of political parties on the opposite side of the dispute as their own parties.

Abdurrahman has maintained through it all that he will not resign.

There are fears that if the political crisis is not resolved soon it could erupt into open conflict at the grassroots level.

When contacted by The Jakarta Post, the chairman of the Golkar Party faction at the House, Syamsul Muarif, refused to comment on Monday evening's gathering, saying he had to report the results of the meeting to the party's executive board.

"I cannot comment on that. I would not dare to say that we were talking about hastening a special session. I have to report the meeting to the executive board first," Syamsul said.

PDI Perjuangan's Soetjipto said the gathering mainly discussed the latest security developments, denying that it was held to discuss a special session.

"This was a brainstorming meeting. We have yet to conclude anything," he remarked.

Legality

Earlier in the afternoon, Amien Rais indicated that steps were being taken to map out strategies to fast-track a special session.

"Besides establishing an expert team, factions at the Assembly will meet to seek a legal basis to hold a special session. Within the next two or three days, the Assembly is expected to reach a breakthrough," he claimed when meeting with students from the Alliance of Student Organizations from Java and Sumatra.

Amien admitted the Assembly has encountered difficulties in finding a legal basis for an immediate special session, since the current mechanisms, as stipulated in a 1978 Assembly decree, require at least six months.

"The decree is a regulation that can be reviewed anytime we want because our current situation is exceptional," he said.

He said an Assembly team consisting of constitutional law experts was expected to find a solution to "the legal deadlock" so a special session could be held within the next three weeks.

Amien said the team included Jimly Assidique, Dahlan Taufik, Sri Sumantri and Ismail Sunny.

However, Sri Sumantri denied that such a team of experts had been established, saying he had been asked merely to present his thoughts to several members of the Assembly.

"I have not joined a team of experts working to prepare a legal basis for a special session," he told the Post by phone.

Sri remarked that the Assembly could not call a special session in the immediate future because this would violate the Assembly decree.

"I told several legislators who met at the Juang building (in Central Jakarta) last week that the Constitution does not allow the Assembly to hold a special session," he said, noting that a special session can be called only after two memorandums have been issued and if the President has failed to respond to the memorandums.

Sri also questioned the contradiction between the result of the House investigation into the two financial scandals, which "alleged" that the President was involved in the scandals, and the House's decision to censure the President for "having violated" the state guidelines.

He said this contradiction gave the President the grounds to file a lawsuit.

Separately, House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said the only way the House could ask for a special session was to issue two memorandums of censure.

"The House can request a special session only through the memorandums. We had the experience in 1998 of holding a special session without the memorandums, but this requires the approval of the president and the people," Akbar said, noting that the 1998 Special Session was called to move forward the general election, not to impeach the president.

"The only way to hold a special session is with the memorandums, and that will take four months and no sooner." (rms/dja)