Plots to hasten MPR session abound
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)