'Use constitutional means to change govt'

'Use constitutional means to change govt'

JAKARTA (JP): Political observers requested all citizens on
Monday to avoid instigating mass riots in an attempt to end
Abdurrahman Wahid's presidency, and instead accept constitutional
and peaceful methods.

Addressing a seminar on national leadership here on Monday,
political observers Siswono Yudohusodo and Riswandha Imawan
suggested that people should use elegant rather than physical
force to change the national leadership.

Siswono, who is the former Minister of Transmigration, said
the House of Representatives (DPR) had three constitutional and
peaceful mechanisms available in order to replace the President.

"The House can hold the Special Session of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) in observance of the results of the
ongoing investigation by the House's Special Committee on the
Bulog (State Logistics Agency) scandal and financial assistance
from Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah," Siswono said, while
referring to two scandals allegedly linked to the President.

The House will conclude the investigation by the end of this
month.

Siswono said that the House's right to express an opinion,
which is slated for Jan. 23, 2001, was another mechanism to bring
Abdurrahman down.

"If the House uses the right three times, then it can hold an
MPR special session.

"The MPR's annual session (slated for August 2001) can also be
converted into a special session," he said.

"It's up to the nation to use all of the possibilities," he
added.

Siswono reminded that anarchic action was the biggest enemy of
democracy.

"So, for the sake of democracy and the country's image in the
international community, there should not be any revolution or
mass mobilization to replace Abdurrahman," he said.

Meanwhile, Riswandha Imawan said that mobilizing people for
certain political interests was a setback for democracy and would
allow increased opportunity for military power to reemerge in the
country's political arena.

"Mobilizing the masses will be very harmful to democracy as it
will lead to a violent coup or the return of military forces in
the name of securing the chaotic condition," Riswandha, who is a
political observer from the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada
University, said.

He said that people should use common sense when expressing
their political aspirations, within the framework of
constitutional and peaceful mechanisms.

"It is okay for people to hold demonstrations, but remember
that this should be their last alternative when expressing their
political aspirations," Riswandha said.

He shared Siswono's opinion that the investigation into the
Bulog and Brunei scandals can be used as a means to topple the
President, as the investigation's results may lead to the
issuance of the House's memorandum for holding the Assembly's
special session.

"If people want to bring Abdurrahman down, the Bulog and
Brunei scandals could lead to the MPR special session.

"So, I think that the development of both financial cases
should be carefully observed," he added. (dja)