President's performance gets failing grade
JAKARTA (JP): Major factions at the House of Representatives (DPR) expressed on Monday their disappointment over President Abdurrahman Wahid's performance, especially his controversial statements, in the last three months after the House issued the first memorandum of censure against the embattled President.
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction in their general evaluation of Abdurrahman's performance underlined that the President's attitudes, policies and statements were closely related to his response to the first memorandum.
"We strongly regret the President's remarks claiming that there would be a national rebellion following the issuance of the second memorandum and that five regions would separate from the country if he resigned," spokeswoman of the PDI Perjuangan faction Dwi Ria Latifa said.
The faction noted that according to the presidential oath stipulated in Article 9 of the 1945 Constitution, the president will maintain the unity of the country and not provoke separation.
"The (President's) statement was totally in contradiction with his obligation to maintain the country's unity and protect all Indonesian citizens," she said, adding that the faction also doubted the intention of the President to really eradicate corruption in the country.
The faction also called on the country to concentrate on efforts to settle the current crisis without further jeopardizing the country's interests.
"It will be only fair to return honor and justice to the one who had the constitutional right with truthfulness and common sense," Latifa said, while referring to her party which won the last general election in 1999.
Golkar Party faction, in its general view read out by legislator Ibnu Munzir, also underlined that the President's remarks in the past three months were "controversial and provoking anarchy among the people".
"At the same time, we see continuing riots that have threatened the unity of the country on a more massive scale ... while one of the President's obligations is to protect the nation," Ibnu told the session.
He said Golkar doubted the President's intention to eliminate corruption as many of the corruption cases remained unsettled.
The United Development Party (PPP) faction shared the same opinion as the first two factions, saying that the government had yet to make substantial changes in its administrative management.
"The President has wasted a golden opportunity in the last three months to improve the performance of his government after the issuance of the first memorandum," PPP faction spokesman Sukardi Harun said in the session.
Apart from the three largest factions in the House, the Indonesian Military (TNI)/Police faction chose not to join the chorus, but asked the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to settle the ongoing political crisis.
Previously, the TNI/Police faction joined the major House factions when they issued the first memorandum against the President on Feb. 1.
Spokesman of the faction Ronggo Soenarso said the issuance of the first memorandum had incited conflicts of interest in the House which was followed by physical conflict among the populace.
"In an effort to end the (political) crisis, we think that all parties should end conflict and engage in dialog," Soenarso said, while adding that if dialog cannot settle the current political crisis, the People's Consultative Assembly should find the solution to it.
The faction cited that many parties in the country had violated democratic political norms. He urged that all political maneuvers and decisions should be taken while keeping in mind the country's interests.
Meanwhile, opposition to the issuance of the second memorandum was raised by the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction and the Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB), the two parties which also rejected the issuance of the first memorandum. (dja/rms)