Six factions draft 2nd memorandum

JAKARTA (JP): While implying that President Abdurrahman Wahid has yet to respond seriously to the first memorandum of censure issued by the House of Representatives (DPR), six House factions have drafted a second memorandum, although the President has yet to reply to the first one.

The six factions are: the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the Golkar Party, the Reform Faction, the United Development Party (PPP), the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the United Daulatul Ummah (PDU) Faction.

"The content of the second memorandum will be discussed in the House leadership meeting and will further be discussed in the House plenary session for approval," Deputy House Speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno told a media conference after receiving the drafts from the six factions.

The drafts were submitted by chairman of the PDI Perjuangan faction Arifin Panigoro and secretary Heri Akhmadi, chairman of Golkar faction Syamsul Muarif and secretary Daryatmo Mardiyanto, chairman of PPP faction Ali Marwan Hanan, chairman of Reform faction Hatta Rajasa, chairman of PBB faction Achmad Sumargono and chairman of PDU faction Achmad Satari.

Soetardjo said the six factions also questioned the incidents last Thursday and Friday when pro-Abdurrahman supporters forcefully entered the closed-door meeting of the House Consultative Body (Bamus), led by deputy House Speaker A.M. Fatwa.

When asked why the House has drafted the second memorandum while the President has yet to reply to the first, Soetardjo said the President does not have to answer the memorandum, the reply to which will not be a binding commitment on the House.

Soetardjo was referring to the MPR Decree No. III/MPR/1978.

Arifin Panigoro said his faction had noted that President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid had lost his "sense of crisis" ever since the issuance of the first memorandum on Feb. 11, 2001.

Meanwhile, Achmad Sumargono said Gus Dur had yet to show some improvement.

Hatta Rajasa said Abdurrahman was serious in responding to the first memorandum.

"The move by the six House factions was an indicator that they will push for the issuance of the second memorandum," he said.

He shared Soetardjo's statement that there was no obligation for the President to reply to the memorandum.

"Even if the President replies to the memorandum, it will be up to each faction to give a response (to the reply)," Hatta said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Defense Mahfud M.D. said on Monday that Abdurrahman's reply to the House memorandum which censures the President over the two financial scandals is expected to tell "the facts" of the case.

"The reply will tell "the hidden facts" in contrast to the facts referred to by the House's special committee. Just wait and see," Mahfud said.

Gus Dur has formed a team led by Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to draft the reply. The team consists of Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Rizal Ramli, Minister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Surjadi Soedirdja, Minister of Human Rights Baharuddin Lopa, Minister of Finance Prijadi Praptosuhardjo, and Mahfud himself.

"We submitted the draft of the reply to the President today (Monday). There are six issues mentioned in the reply, including the scandals and their legal status.

"Gus Dur will, of course, deny involvement in the scandals," Mahfud said.

Separately, a member of the special committee for the Bulog and Brunei scandals, Alvin T. Lee, from the Reform faction said in Yogyakarta on Monday that President Abdurrahman's formal reply was meaningless as the President has yet to show better performance by his administration.

Alvin said the President even continued telling lies to people, among other things, in the President's recent explanation of a US$300,000 scandal involving the state airline Garuda Indonesia.

"The President's answer is meaningless for us (DPR members)... He continues giving false information to the public as to what he did in the Brunei scandal," he said.

He said that memorandum of censure was basically a warning to the President to correct his past mistakes.

"The President does not have to make a formal reply to the memorandum as long as he does not repeat his mistakes," Alvin said.

Alvin added that the House would ask for an explanation over the alleged misuse of money during the President's recent overseas trip.

He said the House would ask the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) to audit the state secretariat and presidential secretariat regarding the "Garudagate" affair. (02/44/imn)