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Wahid Secures Agreement with Major Parties Over Impeachment
JAKARTA, June 24 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid said Saturday his lobbyists have succeeded in convincing four influential political parties to avoid discussing four issues during at parliement session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).
"Thank God, the four big parties have agreed (on this) through a declaration they have signed," President Wahid told his supporters at Mojokerto district, East Java province after paying his respects to the late ulema, Sunan Usman Ngundung.
He said that the MPR has agreed not to discuss four issues during its special session. First is the relationship between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government; second, his accountability report; third, his performance; and fourth, the relations between the president and vice president.
"I have told MPR members through (Defense Minister) Mahfud that if the political parties refuse to sign the declaration, I have no choice but to uphold the Constitution because without it the country will disintegrate," he said.
Some of his lobbyists told the press that the MPR would announce the agreement
soon; otherwise they will do so in the coming days before.
They said Wahid reaffirmed that he is not afraid to take actions in accordance with the Constitution.
In his speech, he also complained about his people in the government, particularly those who are half-hearted in assisting him run the government.
Half of their body is in the palace, the other half is outside, he said.
President Wahid has appointed several ministers to lobby political parties regarding the Aug 1 special MPR session, which could lead to his impeachment.
Later in the day, the congress, organized by five political organizations, came out with a "Declaration of a the Unified People of East Java" that rejected the holding of the special session of the upper house of parliament (MPR) originally scheduled for August 1, the Detikcom website said.
The nearly blind Muslim cleric has denied any wrongdoing in the past and has vowed to serve out his current term until it expires in 2004.
The declaration also demanded that Wahid dissolve the Golkar Party, the second largest parliamentary party and the former political vehicle of deposed president Suharto.
Wahid supporters have accused Golkar and Suharto supporters of attempting to secure the ouster of the president.
The declaration, however, also called on Wahid to bring "state criminals" to court and clean the legislature and other state institutions from Suharto-era cronies.
Some 5,000 people took part in the tightly guarded five-hour congress held at a sports hall in Surabaya, the capital of the densely populated East Java and Wahid's home province.
Detikcom quoted the organizers as saying that the declarations would be handed over to the MPR.
The congress is organized by three groups -- the Democratic Youths, the Catholic Youths and the Christian Youths -- and two small political parties -- the National Democrat Party and the Love The Nation Democratic Party.
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