The President's measures and his precarious position

The President's measures and his precarious position

There was a chance in strengthening the position of President
Abdurrahman Wahid through the latest Cabinet reshuffle, says
lecturer in political sciences Arbi Sanit of the University of
Indonesia -- before he suspended the National Police chief.

Question: Will the latest reshuffle of the Cabinet help
strengthen or weaken the President's position?

Answer: The reshuffle may strengthen his political position
for two reasons. First, the appointment of former communications
minister Agum Gumelar as Coordinating Minister for Political,
Social and Security Affairs will be an effective way to improve
relations between Gus Dur (Abdurrahman) and Vice President
Megawati Soekarnoputri. Better relations between the two may help
them find a political compromise to avoid Gus Dur's impeachment
in the special session (scheduled early August) of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR). The key factor for the decision over
whether the MPR will impeach him or not is Megawati.

Second, the appointment of former minister of justice and
human rights Baharuddin Lopa as attorney general will provide a
greater opportunity ... to bring large-scale corruptors to court.
(This) will improve the performance of Gus Dur's government,
thereby reducing the possibility of his being impeached.

Q: Won't members of the MPR or the House of Representatives (DPR)
charge Gus Dur with politicking if Lopa brings to court only
corruptors of the Golkar Party (the ruling party from 1967-1998)?

A: It is a fact that many Golkar officials were corrupt. If
they can be brought to court, the people will appreciate the
government and DPR or MPR members will have to face the people if
they do not appreciate it. Thus, the people's demand for the
dissolution of the DPR will escalate.

Q: The Attorney General's Office has thus far failed to bring
corruptors to court. How can Lopa make the office more powerful?

A: He will have to replace officials loyal to former attorney
general Marzuki Darusman (also a Golkar official). After that,
the Attorney General's Office might be able to bring more than 20
corruptors to court.

Q: How can corruptors be sent to jail if judges acquit them of
crimes?

A: We hope the new chief of the Supreme Court, Bagir Manan, will
pressure judges so that they perform their tasks objectively.
Bagir, who prides himself as an intellectual, is expected to
uphold justice rather than support political interests.

Q: Will the suspension of National Police chief Gen. Surojo
Bimantoro strengthen Gus Dur's political position?

A: The impact will be negative if DPR members react fiercely. But
if DPR members criticize it heavily, this would further drive the
police force into the political limelight. The fact that
Bimantoro is contesting the President's decision and that many
police officers support him indicates that they are politicking.

Q: But some DPR members have accused Gus Dur of dragging the
police into politics...

A: The police have actually been playing politics in collusion
with some DPR factions. The fact that the police did nothing when
university students staged demonstrations against Gus Dur while
they blocked pro-Gus Dur protesters shows that they have been
politicking in collusion with DPR factions opposing the
President.

Q: Didn't police officers, when supporting Bimantoro, make a
joint statement saying that they refused to be dragged into
politics?

A: They were telling a lie. By making the joint statement, they
were actually looking for more political support.

Q: Will Gus Dur survive given the decision to hold the special
session in early August?

A: If we consider formal realities -- that the majority of its
factions are keen to demand the President's accountability and to
impeach him -- Gus Dur might be toppled. But, as usual,
irrational things could occur in our political development and he
might survive it if, for example, MPR members agreed on a
compromise on the division of jobs between the President and the
Vice President.

Q: Will everything settle down if the MPR defeats Gus Dur and
impeaches him?

A: No, because the supremacy of truth and democracy would not
have been upheld yet. The planned MPR session will be held on the
basis of the DPR's memorandums of censure -- which were based on
an accusation that has never been proved. (The Attorney General
has cleared Gus Dur of alleged involvement in two economic
scandals).

Q: Why do you say legislators don't appreciate democracy?

A: The democracy exercised by the DPR is merely procedural, not
substantive. Most DPR members think that whatever is voted on by
the majority can be considered as the truth. How can a president
be fired if he is merely accused and if the accusation is not
proved? If they consider the memorandums as political, not legal,
decisions, they should know that any political decision must be
supported by legal considerations. (Rikza Abdullah)