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Feb
02, 2001
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INDONESIA IN
CRISIS (Again!)
Edited from The Melbourne
Age:
| Indonesia's embattled
President, Abdur- rahman Wahid, (known in Indonesia as Gus Dur) has been
abandoned by his key political allies, plunging the country into a new
political upheaval. Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri yesterday delivered
a devastating blow to Mr Wahid when her party led demands for him to be
made to answer for two corruption scandals. Sources said Megawati,
whose support for Mr Wahid is crucial to him staying in power, burst
into tears and rushed from a party meeting when party officials decided,
only hours before a special parliamentary session yesterday, to accept
an investigating committee's report on the scandals. The crisis is stoking
fears of violence on the streets. Thousands of demonstrators, most of them
calling for Mr Wahid's resignation, took to Jakarta's streets yesterday.
Mr Wahid says that any unconstitutional move to unseat him would provoke
tens of thousands to protest. The sources said Mrs Megawati said the party
had to take the move against Mr Wahid, a long-time friend, "for the sake
of God and the nation". Mr Wahid had earlier told journalists that "sister
Mega supports me". A showdown between MPs and Mr Wahid that could lead
to a constitutional crisis appears inevitable after most MPs accepted the
report on the scandals that implicates Mr Wahid. Thirty MPs from Mr Wahid's
party last night walked out of parliament in protest after a majority of
more than 350 MPs voted to accept the report. Earlier, several leaders
of parliament's 10 factions launched vicious verbal attacks on Mr Wahid,
accusing him of lying and suggesting that he was corrupt. Mr Wahid insists
he is innocent and claims the committee's report on the scandals is unconstitutional
and politically motivated. As parliament yesterday debated how to make
Mr Wahid accountable, he was meeting with five cabinet ministers,
including Defence Minister Mohamad Muhfud, who has warned that the military
could intervene if street protests erupt. Megawati was also present. She
has yet to comment publicly on the crisis. |
Analysts said Mr Wahid
was now under enormous pressure to make a detailed statement to parliament
on his involvement in the scandals and to apologise to MPs for his condemnation
of the committee's work. Under Indonesian law, Mr Wahid will have three
months to answer parliament's demands of accountability. MPs could move
to impeach Mr Wahid but only after a long political process during which
the country would suffer months of political uncertainty. The committee's
report suggested that Mr Wahid was involved in the illegal transfer of
US$4 billion ($A7.3 billion) from the state food agency and accused him
of failing to officially declare a US$2 million donation from the Sultan
of Brunei. But the report failed to present any direct evidence of corruption
against Mr Wahid, the country's first democratically elected president.
The first MP to attack Mr Wahid yesterday was one of Mrs Megawati's closest
advisers, Laksamana Sukardi, who Mr Wahid sacked as trade and industry
minister last April. Speaking outside parliament, Mr Laksamana hinted strongly
that Mrs Megawati's party wants to see her take power. One of the strongest
attacks against Mr Wahid yesterday was made by the Reform Party, which
had galvanised support for Mr Wahid to beat Megawati for the presidency
15 months ago. The party withdrew its support for Mr Wahid's presidency
and said it would push for him to be removed if he did not resign. |
NEW
YEAR PARTY PIX
As you know we spent New Year
at Melody’s Purnama Restaurant. See previous
edition
The restaurant was well
patronized for the occasion. The KHO table consisted of Gaynor (a
friend of Michael Roof) her girl friend Ingrid from Germany, Amang
(from Lombok), Jamal’s brothers, Deni and Dadan and Jamal’s nephew Ramdani
and John. We thank Gaynor for sending these pictures. |
Gus Dur, Amien Rais and
Akbar Tanjung
(the president and the
house leaders) are flying on Garuda. Gus Dur looks at Amien, chuckles
and says "You know, I could throw a Rp.100.000 bill out of this window
right now and make one person very happy." Amien shrugs his stiff shoulders
and say, "Well, with Rp100.000 I could throw ten Rp10.000 bills out of
the window and make 10 people very happy". Akbar touches his big nose and
says, "Of course, then, I could throw one hundred Rp1000 bills out the
window and make one hundred people very happy". A stewardess rolls her
eyes, looks at all of them and says, "I could throw you all out of the
window & make the WHOLE COUNTRY HAPPY!"
-Bradley in Jakarta.
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 Gaynor
our friend from Melbourne, with Deni and Ramdani,
(Jamal's brother and
nephew)
 Deni
(Jamal's brother) & Ingrid (friend of Gaynor from Germany) make friends
 Ramdani,
John, Dadan & Gaynor
 L-R
Friend of Melody's daughter, John, Rimdani, Gaynor, Osha (Melody's daughter)
Dadan. Amang, Ingrid & Deni.
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