Special session starts today

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)