Six factions draft 2nd memorandum

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)