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Thousands Take To Jakarta Streets Over Wahid Scandal
JAKARTA, Jan 29 (New Agencies) - Thousands of demonstrators rallied outside parliament Monday as MPs remained split over whether to accept the findings of an inquiry into financial scandals allegedly involving President Abdurrahman Wahid.
More than 10,000 students demonstrated in support of the special investigation, packing the front and back gates of the tightly guarded parliamentary compound for more than three hours.
At one point, police fired tear gas to disperse protestors attempting to break through the front gate, but there were no injuries.
Despite the rally, Wahid remained defiant and said he had no intention of stepping down.
"No way. I will not resign because I was elected by MPR," Wahid told journalists at the presidential palace, referring to the People's Consultative Assembly, the country's upper house and top lawmaking body.
But inside the parliament building, members of the People's Representative Council (DPR), Indonesia's lower house of parliament, remained hopelessly divided on what to do with the inquiry's report.
The students, from at least 15 institutions across Indonesia, had marched around 12 kilometers (eight miles) from the state Universitas Indonesia in Central Jakarta to the parliament.
Andre Rosiade, leader of the Trisakti University's student council, said the aim of the rally was not to call for Wahid's resignation, saying they were "fighting for truth and reforms."
After the tear gas incident, students regrouped and were later allowed to enter a few meters into the compound before a cordon of police stopped their advance.
Behind police lines were at least 600 Wahid supporters allowed to enter the complex earlier Monday.
Defense Minister Mohammad Mahfud said police were segregating the two camps for security reasons. Both sides left peacefully after more than three hours.
Inside the parliament building, a closed-door session of the DPR scheduled to hear the report of the special commission into two financial scandals remained split on whether to proceed.
Special Commission chairman Bachtiar Chamsyah wanted the report read to the assembly, but MPs from Wahid's National Awakening Party (PKB) protested the legality of the special commission and its procedures.
By 5:00 pm (1000 GMT), three hours after the session adjourned for a second time, it had yet to reconvene and faction leaders were still consulting the DPR leadership.
"We are still in disagreement over matters of procedures and the legality of the special commission," said MP Aberson Sihaloho of the Indonesian Democracy Party-Struggle (PDIP), which holds the most seats in the DPR.
"We do not yet know when the plenary is to resume," he added.
And Defense Minister Mahfud warned the military might be forced to take over if the probe's findings led to open conflict between politicians.
"The takeover from the civilian politicians is justified by the soldier's oath, to safeguard the nation and state," Mahfud was quoted by the Satunet online news service, adding that such takeover would be "a setback for reform."
Earlier Monday, Mahfud warned the DPR that implicating Wahid in the two scandals could provoke the wrath of the president's supporters.
"If they [the probe results] become the basis for a special session [of the national assembly to impeach the president], that will be too much and will only create a conflict among the masses," Mahfud told journalists.
The two scandals have been dubbed Bulogate and Bruneigate.
Bulogate revolves around $3.9 million taken last year from the state logistics agency, Bulog, allegedly by Wahid's masseur, Alip Agung Suwondo.
The other scandal, Bruneigate, centers around a $2 million donation from the Sultan of Brunei that the president claimed was a personal gift to be used for humanitarian assistance in the separatist province of Aceh. Only part of the fund has so far been accounted for.
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