Wahid warns of a backlash if impeached

By Amit Baruah

SINGAPORE, JULY 21 The Indonesian President, Mr. Abdurrahman Wahid, warned of a possible backlash by his supporters as the plenary session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) voted overwhelmingly to summon the President on Monday.

Some 600 members of the 700-strong Upper House of Parliament or MPR attended today's meeting, which was presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Amien Rais. The President said he would not attend the ``illegal'' session. If, as is very likely, Mr. Wahid boycotts the MPR session, then the MPR will then proceed to impeach him and then appoint the Vice-President, Ms. Megawati Sukarnoputri, in his place.

``If they (go ahead with the impeachment move), don't blame me if the crowd takes care of everything by themselves,'' Mr. Wahid told a press conference today. Almost in the same breath, the President said: ``I am a follower of Mahatma Gandhi.'' (Mr. Wahid is a known supporter of the Mahatma and a solid friend of India). The President refused to give a direct response when asked if he would go ahead with threats to impose a state of emergency. ``I have many options. I won't tell what I will do. But I will do something,'' Mr. Wahid, who seems to be fast running out of options, said.

In a related development, the President's political faction, the National Awakening Party (PKB) warned that it would resort to civil disobedience if the MPR went ahead and elected a new President. ``We will not recognise a new Government elected illegally and we will call for civil disobedience by asking people not to pay their taxes and return their ID (identity) cards,'' Mr. Effendi Choirie, a PKB official, was quoted as saying. ``Indonesia is in a very bad condition and the (MPR) decision shows that common sense and conscience no longer reign...'' he added.

At today's plenary session, which was boycotted by the PKB, an overwhelming number of MPR members, cutting across political factions, voted to call Mr. Wahid to appear before them on Monday. All the major political factions, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Golkar Party, the United Development Party (PPP), Reform Faction and the Crescent Star Party (PBB) put up a united face in the MPR. As was to be expected, the Indonesian military/police faction in the MPR also joined their colleagues in deciding to advance the MPR session from August 31 and call the President to deliver his ``accountability'' speech on Monday.

The military/police faction argued that the appointment of Gen. Chaeruddin Ismail as ``acting police chief'' by Mr. Wahid yesterday had created divisions within the police force as it was ``highly loaded with political interests''. ``....therefore the TNI/Polri (military/police) faction leave the matter in the hands of the Assembly, that it will take the best decision for the sake of the State and nationhood,'' the faction said in a statement.

With the military faction playing ball with Ms. Megawati, the President cannot depend on the State apparatus for any extreme action (like a state of emergency) that he might contemplate. However, given the state of the President's mind and his actions till date, he might just impose a ``state of emergency'' to create further chaos and confusion.

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Section  : International
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