Special session is illegal, says Gus Dur

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid charged that the accelerated People's Consultative Assembly special session, which began on Saturday, was illegal and manipulated by a small group of people bent on his ouster.

The President also alleged that the proceedings were being engineered by certain parties, who might be involved in corruption cases, to shift attention from their offenses.

He insisted he would not oblige the Assembly by presenting an accountability report on Monday.

He repeatedly questioned the basis of convening such a session as he felt he had not committed any offense such as treason against the state.

"I will not attend such an illegal gathering," the President said at Merdeka Palace.

Abdurrahman also defended his decision to appoint Gen. Chaeruddin Ismail as caretaker National Police chief on Friday saying he had the authority to do so because the Assembly's decree only ruled the appointment and dismissal of the National Police chief.

Assembly Speaker Amien Rais said on Friday night that Chaeruddin's appointment was one of the reasons for the accelerated special session.

Abdurrahman said the recent upward trend of the rupiah and stock market in Jakarta, following the Assembly's decision to begin impeachment proceedings against him, was proof of market confidence in his administration.

"The confidence of the market and private sector in the government is strengthening," he argued.

Abdurrahman said the declaration of a state of civil emergency was still very much in the cards and would be weighed in the next two days.

He warned he would not hesitate to take harsh action to counter the Assembly's latest move.

"I have many followers, such as students, NU (Nahdlatul Ulama) members, people in Purwokerto (West Java), Lirboyo (East Java), and 6,000 ulema in Manado and Gorontalo (Sulawesi)," the President noted.

In the afternoon, Abdurrahman visited Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri's younger sister, at her residence.

Rachmawati has apparently taken a different stance to her sibling and has been seen as firmly on Abdurrahman's side.

Later in the afternoon, the President chaired a National Awakening Party (PKB) meeting at Merdeka Palace.

Abdurrahman heads PKB's advisory council.

One of the main agenda of the meeting was the suspension of Matori Abdul Djalil as party chief and the appointment of foreign minister Alwi Shihab as acting party chief.

Later in the evening, Abdurrahman again charged that the special session was illegal and that he would not heed it as it violated the 1945 Constitution.

Abdurrahman claimed he had sent an official letter to the Assembly informing it of his decision not to deliver his accountability report.

"The submission of my accountability will be a violation of the 1945 Constitution," the President said. (prb)