President Abdurrahman Wahid stated on Friday that the special
President Abdurrahman Wahid stated on Friday that the special session had no right to demand a statement of presidential accountability as the 1945 Constitution stipulated clearly that the President only had to account to the MPR at the end of his term of office.
"Just ignore it ... it has only been mentioned by a couple of people. We should find another way to get to the truth," he remarked during an interview with TVRI state television .
"The special session can go ahead, but I remind you that it should not upset the relationship between the President and the House and it should not demand presidential accountability," Abdurrahman added.
But the MPR is determined to ask the President to make a statement of accountability at the upcoming special session.
Should his accountability statement be rejected, the MPR will then elect a new president.
Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is also the chairwoman of the largest party in the House, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), looks set to succeed Abdurrahman as president.
As part of the effort to save his presidency, Abdurrahman has tried to offer a constitutional delegation of power to Megawati and at the same time has threatened to declare a state of emergency.
Megawati, however, rejected Abdurrahman's offer, while the Military top brass and ministers have poured cold water on his idea of declaring a state of emergency.