Six factions to go ahead with special session

Six factions to go ahead with special session

JAKARTA (JP): Ignoring embattled President Abdurrahman Wahid's
executive order, major House factions said on Monday they would
go ahead with their plan to call for a special session of the
People's Consultative Assembly.

House speaker Akbar Tandjung, who is also chairman of the
Golkar Party, said the House would go ahead on Wednesday with a
plenary session to evaluate the president's response to the
second censure.

"The president's executive order has no political implications
for the House's agenda for the plenary session in which factions
will present their political stance on the president's response
to the second memorandum of censure," he said here on Monday.

The president gave an executive order to Coordinating Minister
for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono to take special steps and action to restore security
and order, as well as to enforce the law, due to what he termed a
"political emergency".

Akbar implied that a majority of House factions would call on
the Assembly to hold a special session to ask for the president's
accountability due to the president's unsatisfactory response to
the second censure.

"However, it is not certain whether or not the president will
be impeached because there is a possibility that a political
compromise will be reached during the special session," he said.

But Hafids, a member of the Golkar faction, said his faction
would propose a special session to impeach the president.

"Our faction's political stance to be presented to the House's
plenary session on Wednesday is clear, and we will call for a
special session to ask for the president's accountability," he
said.

Pramono Anung Wibowo, deputy secretary-general of the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
concurred and said his faction's stance would be handed to Vice
President Megawati Soekarnoputri to approve on Monday evening.

"The political stance prepared by the party's Team-8 is ready
and it's clear that we want to solve the Bulog and Brunei
scandals in accordance with the constitution," he said.

Arifin Panigoro, chairman of PDI Perjuangan faction, claimed
that Megawati and her party rejected the president's power-
transfer proposal "because we want to solve the political crisis
in accordance with the constitution."

"PDI Perjuangan has decided to solve the political crisis in a
special session of the Assembly in which the president will be
asked to present his accountability," he said.

Ali Marwan Hanan, chairman of the United Development Party
(PPP) and Achmad Sumargono, chairman of the Crescent Star Party
(PBB), revealed that their factions would say "no" to the
president.

"We will be consistent with our previous stance that the
political crisis must be solved through the Assembly special
session," said Ali Marwan.

Hatta Radjasa, chairman of the reform faction, said his
faction, which was included within the Axis Force, would have the
same stance and that the second censure should be followed up
with a special session to ask for the president's accountability.

Col. (Navy) Christin M. Rantetana, secretary of the Indonesian
Military/National Police faction, said her faction would likely
abstain on a vote to convene a special session if the current
political climate remained uncertain.

"Our faction will continue to stay out of the conflict among
political parties and it won't get trapped in their conflicting
interests. Our main objective is the national interest," she
said. (rms)