Special session starts today

JAKARTA (JP): Leaders of the People's Consultative Assembly have decided to accelerate impeachment proceedings against the President by convening a plenary session on Saturday morning to decide whether the special session to seek a presidential accountability can begin immediately.

Should the Assembly plenary session be approved, the President may have to present his all-important accountability speech on Monday, which, if he fails to do or is rejected, could see him ousted within days.

The decision to call a plenary Assembly session capped off a hectic day of politicking on Friday, which saw the nation sink deeper into a bewildering political crisis and the brink of a state of emergency.

Assembly Speaker Amien Rais announced the decision to convene the plenary session, which he confidently boasted would undoubtedly agree to accelerate the special session that was initially set for Aug. 1.

Palace officials ducked requests for comments on the latest development late on Friday.

"The President has not received any invitation from the Assembly," presidential spokesman Adhie Massardi said.

The decision of the Assembly leaders was spurred in no small part by President Abdurrahman Wahid's decision to install Gen. Chaeruddin Ismail as National Police chief caretaker.

The nation had been on edge on Friday as Abdurrahman had said he would declare a state of emergency at 6 p.m.

Assembly members, who had all been instructed to be ready in the capital to convene at a moment's notice, had already gathered to anticipate a possible reaction to the President.

However, what transpired was not a declaration of a state of emergency but the President delaying the deadline further to 6 p.m. on July 31.

Abdurrahman said a state of civil emergency would be imposed if no political compromise was reached.

"But I hope there will be a political compromise before July 31," he said.

The President also installed Chaeruddin as police chief caretaker, aggravating further the leadership crisis of the National Police chief after he dismissed incumbent chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro.

Led by Amien Rais, Assembly leaders jumped into their meeting room and hashed out a decision to convene the 700-member Assembly the next day to seek approval for a snap special session.

"Eight factions (of 11 factions) in the Assembly threw their weight behind the plenary session and, Insya Allah (God willing), they are expected to support a hastened special session," Amien said after the meeting.

Seated next to Amien during the media briefing were deputy speakers from the eight factions which supported the Assembly's plenary session. Among them were Sutjipto of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Ginandjar Kartasasmita of the Golkar Party and Lt. Gen. Hari Sabarno of the Indonesian Military/National Police faction.

The other five factions who also supported the move were the United Development Party (PPP) faction, the Reform faction, the Societal group faction, the Crescent Star Party (PBB) faction and the Ummah Sovereignty Party (PDU) faction.

Conspicuously absent during the meeting was the President's National Awakening Party.

Amien said that once the special session was approved, the President would be given all of Sunday to prepare for his accountability speech.

Should the President fail to present his accountability, something Abdurrahman has insisted that he would not do, the Assembly could immediately revoke their mandate and appoint Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri as president.

Amien conceded that Chaeruddin's inauguration had been a deciding factor.

"With Chaeruddin's status as acting chief, he will have power and authority as National Police chief and this could raise serious friction within the police body," Amien said.

"The country's situation will worsen. This is a reason why the eight factions decided unanimously to bring forward the special session," he added.

Many have anticipated that a hastened special session would be called if a state emergency was imposed, but the fact that it was called due to Chaeruddin's installment may raise further controversy.

Earlier, House of Representatives Speaker and Golkar Party chief Akbar Tandjung was somewhat vague on the issue of Chaeruddin's installment, saying that since he was only appointed as caretaker, it did not necessarily require the House's approval.

Golkar officials could not be reached for further comment late on Friday night as they were convening in a meeting to formulate their position for Saturday's plenary session.

PKB secretary Abdul Kholiq Achmad also contended that Chaeruddin's appointment was not a violation of Assembly Decree No. VII/2000 which requires the President to seek approval in appointing and dismissing the National Police chief.

Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri remained out of the public eye and canceled some engagements during these critical developments as she privately met politicians at her residence.

PDI Perjuangan secretary-general Soetjipto said that the party was ready to hold a snap special session.

Meanwhile in Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi, the spokesman for the Indonesian Military (TNI), Rear Marshall Graito Usodo, said the military would back the special session, saying it was the constitutional way to settle the political impasse.

"We will fully back up the police in safeguarding the session," he said. (rms/27/dja/prb)