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Top Indonesian Leaders Meet To Solve Problems
by Kazi Mahmood
KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 (IslamOnline) - While the embattled president of Indonesia, Abdurrahman Wahid, enjoys a moment of relief, government officials are striving for top leaders of the country to meet and discuss how to solve the country's problems.
Initiating an effort by Wahid proposing that Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri; Amien Rais, his most vociferous opponent and leader of the National Mandate Party (PAN); Akbar Tandjung, leader of the Golkar Party, and himself, meet and sort out differences that separate them, officials are trying to make the meeting a reality.
Wahid's offer has been greeted with skepticism from within the opposing camps, even though Megawati and Tandjung said they would meet with the president, with the press in Jakarta quoting Rais as saying he was uneasy over the idea of a meeting with the four leaders.
Rais said the meeting would not resolve conflicts in the country, and not alter the decision by the House of Representatives (MPR) to issue a new censure memorandum to Wahid.
Tandjung agreed with Rais that the MPR should not withhold its momentum to issue the memorandum, which could lead to a formal impeachment by the House, and force Wahid to step down as early as May of this year.
Six major political parties represented at the MPR plan to censure Wahid for a second time in May.
House deputy speaker Tosari Widjaja, also an executive of the United Development Party (PPP), revealed on Saturday that his party was among those that supported the issuance of a second memorandum of censure.
Other parties involved in the anti-Wahid move are the Democratic Party of Indonesia for Struggle (PDI-P), Golkar, PAN and Crescent and Star Party (PBB).
"Until now, there are six large parties that have sent letters urging House leaders to process the second memorandum of censure, and this did not come from PPP only," Antara quoted Tosari as saying.
The House first censured Wahid in February after he was implicated in two multi-million dollar corruption scandals.
A legislator from PDI Perjuangan, Yacub Nuwa Wea, confirmed that his party had established a team to evaluate the President's response to the House's first censure, but stated that they were determined to issue the second censure.
In an attempt to stave off a second censure, Wahid has called for talks with his three main rivals ahead of April 30th, when parliament meets to decide on the issue.
Wahid on Friday said his political rivals welcomed his proposal for the meeting, which he claims, would take place soon. He added that the date was not decided upon yet because of the tight schedules of the leaders.
Presidential spokesman Adhie Massardi said that aides of the four leaders have met to discuss an agenda for the meeting, adding that they agreed the meeting would be aimed at eliminating the fear of horizontal conflict if political problems were not resolved soon.
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