Politic-Economic-Society-Tech

Emergency looms over Indonesia despite compromise efforts

Despite the faint glimmer of a possible compromise, Indonesians were bracing for President Abdurrahman Wahid to make good his threat to declare a state of emergency to stave off an impeachment move. 
Late on Wednesday he renewed his threat to declare a state of emergency, plunging Indonesia into another bout of uncertainty. 

However, in a new twist, Wahid said that if declared on Friday, the state of emergency, which would allow him to disband the parliament before it can impeach him, will only take effect on July 31, the eve of the scheduled start of a special parliament session to impeach him. 

"So a span of 11 days is given to allow compromises to be reached, and this is as far as I can concede," Wahid said in a late Wednesday dialogue broadcast nationwide. 

Politicians said efforts were on course to reach a compromise before the start of the session, among at least two main opposition leaders and the president's emissaries. 

But analysts were divided over the prospects. 

"Current developments show that a compromise is no longer possible because the target of the special session is to impeach Gus Dur, based on their belief that he is the source of all problems," Affan Gafar from the Gajah Mada university in Yogyakarta, Central Java, said. 

Gafar said the willingness of some politicians to negotiate a compromise was only a ploy to ensure the special session goes ahead. 

"It's only a formality in an effort to cool down the political tension so that the special session can take place smoothly," Gafar said. 

Executives of Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri's Indo-nesian Democracy Party for Struggle (PDIP), which has the largest single block of seats at the parliament, have said she has rejected a proposal that envisages Wahid handing over all powers to her. 

But another analyst, Hermawan Sulistyo of the state University of Indonesia, stressed a compromise could still be reached. 

"A compromise remains possible because the anti-Wahid groups are no longer giving Megawati a blank cheque. They are insisting on the issue of the vice presidential post, as well as positions in the next cabinet, while PDIP has refused to talk about these issues," Sulistyo said. 

"Therefore, they (non-PDIP groups) think it is better to strike a deal with Wahid right now because he can definitely give them what they want," he said. 

The former ruling Golkar and the Muslim-based United Development Party, whose chairmen have agreed to negotiate a compromise, hold a combined 179 seats compared to PDIP's 154. 

Gafar dismissed fears of large scale riots should Wahid be impeached, saying "the public no longer supports the mass mobilisation of people." 

Wahid's home province of East Java may see some protests, he said, but the military has warned they will not tolerate anarchy. 

"East Java and Central Java are the two hottest spots. Riots no longer have to be orchestrated because anger among the lower classes has reached its peak," he said. 

Lawmakers have been told to gather in Jakarta by Friday so that they can convene the special session within hours of the state of emergency being declared. 

The city's security authorities are readying 42,000 police and troops to ensure that the special session, whenever it will be held, would not be disturbed.
(AFP, Jakarta)

source: The Daily Star International News, 20.07.2001