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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