Top aide rejects Gus Dur's threat

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid's top political security minister said on Friday he would try to dissuade the President from imposing a state of emergency, despite the President earlier in the day giving politicians until 6 p.m. on July 20 to cease their proceedings against him.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Social, and Security Affairs Gen. (ret) Agum Gumelar vowed to prevent the President from going ahead with his threat, just hours after Abdurrahman gave his warning to journalists.

"I say that, as the coordinating minister on political, social, and security affairs, I will try to prevent the President from issuing the decree," Agum, who is also acting Minister of Defense, told reporters after attending a hearing with House of Representative leaders.

When pressed by journalists what he would do if the President resisted and went ahead with his intention to impose a state of emergency and dissolve the legislature, Agum stood up from his seat and replied firmly: "I am also serious about preventing it!"

The President, during talks after Friday prayers in Cirebon, West Java, affirmed his intention to fight efforts to unseat him.

The People's Consultative Assembly is due to convene a special session on Aug. 1 to seek the President's accountability. If his accountability report is rejected he could be removed and replaced by Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Abdurrahman insists that the Assembly has no right to seek his accountability until the end of his term in 2004.

He warned that if no compromise could be found and the Assembly continued its steps to seek his accountability, "on July 20 at 6 p.m. I will proclaim a state of emergency."

Abdurrahman claimed that he had sought all avenues to reach a political compromise with leaders of major political parties, which included Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung and United Development Party chairman Hamzah Haz.

He pointed out that newly appointed Cabinet Secretary Marzuki Darusman was also involved in the negotiation process.

"We still have one more week. Hopefully within this week Pak Akbar, Pak Hamzah, with the assistance of Pak Marzuki, will find a satisfactory resolution," said Abdurrahman, who, while in Cirebon, visited the grave of ulema Abdul Hanan.

Abdurrahman has also repeatedly claimed that those who oppose him in the Assembly are a minority and boasted that several provinces would seek independence if he were removed from office.

However, at present, there seem to be few political allies of the President with only the minority National Awakening Party sticking faithfully behind their founder.

The most telling reflection has been Vice President Megawati, who has distanced herself from the President, ducking several invitations or meetings with him.

News of Abdurrahman's latest deadline was met with the same resolve by Assembly Speaker Amien Rais who warned that the special session could be convened immediately after a state of emergency is declared.

"If the President insists on issuing the decree at 6 p.m. on July 20, within only one or two hours of the decree we will hold the plenary meeting and then the special session," he said.

"Insya Allah (God willing) we will announce it publicly on television, radio and in the press."

Amien insisted that his remarks were not an emotional reaction but part of his duty to uphold the Constitution, as the President had no right to dissolve the House or the Assembly.

"It is quite clear in the 1945 Constitution, which stipulates that the President cannot dissolve the House, as all of its members are also Assembly members," Amien said.

Akbar supported Amien's view saying that if the legislature is dissolved there would be no other course than to revoke the presidential mandate given to Abdurrahman.

"If the President does not want to submit his accountability report, then we will conclude that his accountability is not accepted by the Assembly," Akbar pointed out. (tso/prb)