Susilo meets TNI, House leaders

Susilo meets TNI, House leaders

Kurniawan Hari and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono met with leaders of the House
of Representatives and the Indonesian Military (TNI) separately
on Tuesday amid a power struggle between two opposing coalitions
that has brought the House to a standstill.

Susilo held a 20-minute unscheduled, closed-door meeting with
House leaders at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, and later in the day he and
Vice President Jusuf Kalla broke the fast with military top brass
at TNI Headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta.

Briefing the press after the meeting, the President said that
his visit to the House was part of an effort to find a solution
to the deadlock that has plagued the House over the past few
weeks.

"We hope the House can settle its problems soon because the
government wants to have hearings with the House. The government
needs the House's oversight," Susilo said.

The President also clarified news reports suggesting that he
had banned Cabinet ministers from attending hearings with the
legislators. According to Susilo, the government was giving time
to the House to settle its internal problems.

State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra said on Monday that the
President had banned Cabinet members from attending meetings with
the House, a statement that could be taken as showing that the
government is siding with one of the two opposing blocks in the
House.

The House has been deeply divided over the election mechanism
for the chairs of its commissions and five auxiliary bodies. The
Nationhood Coalition and the National Awakening Party (PKB) have
insisted that the commission chairs be put to a vote, while the
People's Coalition is demanding that the posts be proportionally
distributed among all the factions.

The Nationhood Coalition consists of Golkar, the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Prosperous Peace Party
(PDS) and the Reform Star Party (PBR). The PKB has thrown its
support behind the coalition.

The People's Coalition, on the other hand, comprises the
United Development Party (PPP), the Democratic Party (PD), the
National Mandate Party (PAN), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS),
and small parties grouped in the Democratic Pioneer Star (BPD)
faction.

House leaders said after the meeting with Susilo that they
would try to resolve the standoff as soon as possible.

"The main problem is the commission chairmanships. We will
talk with the leaders of the 10 factions to arrive at a consensus
so that the legislators can start their work for the sake of the
people," House Speaker Agung Laksono said.

House deputy speaker Muhaimin Iskandar said that a likely
solution would be a reshuffle of the commission chairs.

Leaders of the opposing factions said they were ready for
talks with rival factions.

Meanwhile, during the a breaking-of-the-fast meeting, TNI
chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said Army chief Gen. Ryamizard
Ryacudu would not respond to a House summons for a hearing
scheduled for Thursday out of loyalty to the President.

"It's up to the President. The President has said that state
officials must wait until the internal rift within the House is
resolved," Endriartono said.

Ryamizard, who was also present at the gathering, refused to
comment on the issue.

The House defense commission had arranged a hearing with
Ryamizard on Thursday in connection with his appointment as the
acting TNI chief by former president Megawati Soekarnoputri a few
days before she left office. Megawati said she had nominated
Ryamizard as acting TNI chief after Endriartono tendered his
resignation, a claim later denied by the TNI chief.

Defense commission chairman Theo Sambuaga said an invitation
would be sent to Ryamizard, with a copy also being sent to the
President. Theo said the hearing was in accordance with the
House's standing orders and the Constitution.

During a previous meeting with the House leadership last week,
Susilo said he was aware of and would honor the House's selection
process for the new TNI chief. The Constitution says that in
appointing the TNI chief the president has to seek the House's
approval.

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