The big show draws near

As the big day of May 30 approaches, political suspense has been on the increase as to whether or not the House of Representatives will reject the presidential accountability speech following memorandum I and memorandum II and decide to go ahead with impeachment proceedings.

The only person who is very sure that President Abdurrahman Wahid will have to account for his performance and policies before the special session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) is Amien Rais, the MPR's speaker and chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN). Amien has assured the media that the special session of the MPR is something "inevitable" and nobody should hide the truth about this certainty and it should be seen as something "indisputable" as well.

Further, the MPR Speaker has openly revealed that preparations for the big day have been going on. The speaker has discussed these preparations with almost all chairpersons of the House factions. The factions' leaders in the House have reported to Amien Rais the conclusions reached at their meeting in discussions about the big day.

In essence these House factions see the need to have a government based on the majority of the political parties that will be strong, stable and productive.

The nation is now waiting with impatience, curiosity and a kind of irritated boredom for the curtain to go up.

GANDHI SUKARDI

Jakarta