Rallies continue ahead of House session
Rallies continue ahead of House session
JAKARTA (JP): Anti and pro-government rallies continued on
Friday ahead of the House of Representatives plenary session next
Monday that will mark the delivery of the House special
committee's findings concerning two financial scandals allegedly
involving President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid.
At least five groups of protesters voiced their demands at the
House and held meetings with legislators demanding either the
halting or the continuation of the investigation.
Friday's rallies were marked by an incident when deputy House
speaker Andi Mappetahang Fatwa was hit by a pair of dirty socks
thrown by a Cirebon, West Java supporter of Abdurrahman.
The incident happened when Fatwa was holding a meeting with
dozens of Abdurrahman's supporters from three groups, namely the
National Unity Defenders Forum from Cirebon, the Forum of
Concerned Citizens from Brebes in Central Java and the Alliance
of Central Java Citizens.
After nearly two hours of heated debate with Fatwa, who is
known for his strong criticism of Abdurrahman, one of the
protesters suddenly came forward and threw the dirty socks in
Fatwa's face.
"This is a pair of dirty socks to stuff your mouth with so
that you will shut up," the protester shouted while throwing the
socks.
Police officers then surrounded Fatwa and escorted him back to
his office, while the protesters left the meeting room
immediately.
Hundreds of university students from across Java expressed
their support for the House special committee and demanded the
House continue the investigation.
The students hailed from the Brawijaya State University in
Malang, East Java, the Sebelas Maret State University in
Surakarta, Central Java, the Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta
and the Bogor Agricultural Institute.
"The House should be consistent and continue with the
investigation into both financial scandals. And Abdurrahman
should be held responsible for his alleged involvement in the
scandals," the statement from the students said.
They were referring to the Rp 35 billion (US$3.6 million)
scandal involving the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) and the $2
million donation from Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
Meanwhile, President Abdurrahman Wahid claimed on Friday that
his deputy Megawati Soekarnoputri fully supports him and is in
favor of seeing his presidency through until it ends in 2004.
Abdurrahman was quoted by Antara as saying in Jambi that
Megawati was willing to support him since she "is willing to put
the nation's interests before those of others."
"I am the one who knows her best. She (Megawati) always leaves
things up to me to decide," Abdurrahman said after Friday prayers
at the Al Falah grand mosque.
Abdurrahman added that Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), which is the largest faction in the
House of Representatives (DPR), was also fully behind the
President.
Abdurrahman has repeatedly denied that he is at odds with
Megawati saying that "the duo of Gus Dur (Abdurrahman's nickname)
and Megawati should never be broken".
However, Megawati, who is media-shy and infamous for her
silence, has so far never expressed whether or not she really was
behind the President.
In preparation for an increasing number of rallies, National
Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro said in Surabaya, East Java,
on Friday that the police would deploy 40,000 personnel,
including troops from the Army and Marines, in the capital next
Monday.
"I have ordered all regional police chiefs not to hesitate in
taking stern measures against any anarchic actions perpetrated by
protesters.
"Even in the United States, the police are allowed to shoot
lawbreakers, so we should not hesitate," Bimantoro said.
Meanwhile, chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB)'s
East Java chapter Choirul Anam said he would send 300 party
supporters to the capital on Jan. 29 to observe the plenary
session.
"I cannot stop the people from going there (Jakarta) as they
really want to defend Abdurrahman. If things get worse at the
House, we'll send more people," Anam said.
In Yogyakarta, more than 500 students from various
universities held a mass rally here on Friday, calling on
President Abdurrahman to resign.
Calling themselves members of th the Reformist Student and Youth
Front (GAMMPAR), the students staged their rally in front of the
Yogyakarta Provincial Council.
One of the protesters said Gus Dur had disappointed the
Indonesian people.
"We were very glad when he was appointed as President. But,
what have we got today? Gus Dur has been developing his own
political agenda and a new form of KKN," he shouted.
Another protester said the Bulog and Brunei scandals showed
that Gus Dur had ignored the people's aspirations.
Meanwhile, serious traffic congestion occurred in Makassar,
capital of South Sulawesi, when hundreds of anti-Abdurrahman
protesters from the People's Reform Forum Guardian Movement,
blocked the city's main thoroughfare on Friday.
(23/27/byg/dja/nur/rms)