PPP firm on its stance on special session

BANDUNG (JP): United Development Party (PPP) chairman Hamzah Haz on Thursday remained unrelenting in his argument for a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly, saying that it would help reduce tension and conflict.

"The sooner the better. Why? Because a special session would not necessarily topple Gus Dur," Hamzah said on the sidelines of a commemoration of PPP's 28th anniversary here.

Hamzah said that the President could prove his innocence in the Brunei and Bulog scandals through such a special session.

"In the previous memorandum we have only alleged the possible involvement of the President ... and the memorandum is a moderate and constitutional means of handling such a matter. It should be accommodated and not rejected (by Abdurrahman)," he said.

If Abdurrahman can prove his innocence in a special session, "Gus Dur may gain more trust and continue his administration until 2004," Hamzah added.

The political tension between the House and the President has seeped through to the grassroots level.

Rallies, either supporting the President or demanding his resignation, have become a daily occurrence in many cities. In East Java pro-Abdurrahman rallies have turned violent with protesters attacking the offices of the Golkar Party and Muhammadiyah facilities.

Later on Thursday around 100 students from Muhammadiyah schools in Bandung staged a protest criticizing attacks of their facilities in East Java.

Meanwhile in Semarang, Central Java, around 300 youths calling themselves the Alliance Against the New Order Regime staged a protest in support of Abdurrahman's administration.

In Jakarta, around 80 Muslim clerics from Central Java and Yogyakarta staged a demonstration at the House of Representatives compound demanding the legislative body annul its censure of the President and revoke the memorandum issued on Feb. 1.

Muhaimin Gunardo, spokesman for the clerics who claim to be affiliated to the Nadhlatul Ulama Muslim organization, said there were no grounds for the House to issue the memorandum.

"The memorandum must be revoked because the House does not have adequate evidence or plausible reasons to make the decision," he told reporters.

"It was clearly issued based on political engineering designed to topple the President."

Muhaimin was clearly disappointed that the group had failed to meet House speaker Akbar Tandjung. He claimed that the clerics had been informed that Akbar would be available to meet with them at 2 p.m..

Eventually they met with House Deputy Speaker A.M. Fatwa and chairman of the Golkar Party faction Syamsul Muarif, who accepted a copy of the clerics' concerns.

"It is better for us to go home because Akbar Tandjung is not here. We wanted to hold a dialog with Akbar and not Fatwa or Syamsul," said Muhaimin.

Fatwa revealed that Akbar asked him to accompany Syamsul to receive the clerics on his behalf as the House speaker had other pressing engagements.

Achmad Badhawi Basir, director of the Darul Falah Islamic Boarding School in Jepara, said the ulemas were very disappointed and felt humiliated.

"The House does not appreciate our long trip from remote areas in Central Java and Yogyakarta. We were informed that we would be received at 2 p.m. and arrived here on time, but the House speaker won't receive us," he said.

Muhaimin, who is also director of the Bambu Runcing Islamic Boarding School in Magelang, Central Java, warned that the anti- Golkar rallies in East Java could spread to Central Java and Yogyakarta if the House refuses to revoke the memorandum.

"The House must be blamed if Central Java and Yogyakarta in turn emulate what happened in East Java," he said.

Meanwhile, the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction regretted Akbar's absence during the arranged meeting with the clerics, saying the House speaker was being discriminative.

"Akbar is being discriminative because he received bogus clerics last week," Effendi Choirie, a member of the PKB faction, said.

Last week, Akbar received 40 anti-Gus Dur clerics who also claimed to be NU ulemas from West Java and Banten.

The clerics demanded that the President step down voluntarily because he had lost the House's political support. (edt/25/har/rms)