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Indonesian President's Statement on Political Compromise Denied
Indonesian Defense Minister Mahfud M.D. Sunday denied a statement by President Abdurrahman Wahid that he had reached a compromise with major political parties over the agenda of the special session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).
"Perhaps the president obtained (the information on the compromise) from other sources. The president has formal and informal sources," Mahfud was quoted by the Jakarta Post Monday as saying.
During a visit to the East Java town of Mojokerto, East Java province, on Saturday, Wahid said Mahfud, who was included in his lobbying team, had succeeded in convincing major political parties not to raise issues on the ties between the executive body, the House of Representatives and legal authorities, his accountability, the government's performance and the relationship between him and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri.
"The lobbying team has completed its task and has reported the results to the president," Mahfud said, adding that none of the political parties had either rejected or accepted the government's proposals for a compromise.
Separately, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's deputy Secretary General Pramono Anung Wibowo and chief of Golkar Party faction at the House Syamsul Mu'arif Sunday contended that the chance remains remote for a political deal and that the MPR would go ahead with the crucial agenda of hearing the president report the accountability of his government's performance in its upcoming special session.
On Saturday, Golkar Party Chairman Akbar Tandjung acknowledged, during a visit to the East Kalimantan provincial capital of Samarinda, that he had met with Mahfud but both sides had not made any political agreement.
Bachtiar Chamsyah, deputy secretary of the United Development Party, also said that his party had not made an agreement with Mahfud.
The MPR will hold a special session on August 1, asking for accountability from the president as he has been suspected to be involved in two graft scandals during his 19 months in office.
Wahid himself said that the special MPR session is unconstitutional, threatening not to attend the hearing.
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