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)