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Indonesia's Wahid Puts Deadline for State Of Emergency
JAKARTA, July 9 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid will go ahead with his plan to dissolve Parliament and impose a state of emergency on the country if his political foes do not compromise with him by July 20, news reports in Jakarta said Monday.
Wahid, embattled and wearied, but not worn out, from the battle that sets him at loggerheads with the Parliament and the major political parties, said he was more than serious this time.
He said that if he allowed the Parliament to continue with its proposed "special" sitting on August 1, the country would face major threats. He directed this message to the Army chiefs and urged them to obey the orders of the Commander in Chief, the position he himself fills.
A state of danger is conditional for the declaration of a state of emergency under Indonesian law.
MPR (upper Parliament house) Chairman, Amien Rais, responded to Wahid's latest threat by warning that impeachment hearings could be brought forward at the scheduled starting date of August 1.
"Wahid's planned move is against the constitution and could disturb economic and social stability," Rais told reporters.
But, Chief Security Minister Agum Gumelar, whom Wahid appointed last month to improve relations between himself and his deputy, Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri, sought to play down the president's threat.
"We still have time. Don't view this (threat) as the president's final decision," Gumelar told SCTV private television.
Wahid's strategy is to bring the army to follow the orders of the Commander in Chief of the forces.
"But there is a problem. No one knows if the army will revolt against Wahid or will follow these orders," an editor in a major Jakarta newspaper wrote.
"I have not reached this stage yet because we are still in negotiations to find a proper solution to the problems that surround us," Wahid said while waiting for the political leader to join him for a meeting at Bogor. "We have offered the best deals to the DPR, but political parties and the speaker of the DPR [lower Parliament house] does not agree."
The meeting was cancelled when none of the leaders, including Megawati, who is anticipated to hold the presidency after August 1, showed up.
Wahid, backed by his own National Awakening Party (PKB) party leader, Matori Abdul Djalil, said the meeting failed because the political parties were not ready to come for the discussions.
"We wanted this meeting to settle matters peacefully. But the absence of the major parties here shows there is no response from them to deal in a reconciliatory manner," he added.
"It is the legislators, not the government, who are unwilling to reach a peaceful resolution [to the current conflict], as it is they who canceled the meeting. Again, I say that the government is willing to make a peaceful compromise but this is the proof that they are not supporting that effort," Wahid said.
"I heard that Akbar Tanjung and Hamzah Haz canceled their plan to attend because Megawati could not make it (at the Bogor Palace) ... and I think that shows just about everything. I hope that all political parties realize their mistakes and the violation of the Constitution which they have committed," he added.
Wahid was asked whether he was aware that the police and the army would not execute the decree for emergency. He replied by saying, "Who said that?"
He used strong words to affirm that the army will follow his orders, and that he expected the people to follow suit. He said that he had been successful in preventing the people from invading Jakarta in his defense; thus, it was clear that he was in control of the masses.
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