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Indonesian Assembly Can Hold Session Hours After President Issues Decree: Assembly Leaders
Six factions of Indonesian People' s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Monday agreed to convene a special session two hours after President Abdurrahman Wahid realizes his threat to issue a decree putting the country under a state of emergency on July 20.
"After the president announces the decree at 06:00 p.m. (on July 20), the MPR leaders will call for the holding of the special MPR session two hours later to take an immediate stance on it," chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle faction of the MPR Sophan Sophian told reporters here.
He was quoted by the Antara News Agency as saying that it was one of the things agreed upon at the MPR leaders' meeting here to discuss the possible scenarios if Wahid does issue the decree on July 20.
Fahmi Idris of the Golkar Party faction said the MPR believes the president is serious in his threat to issue the decree on the deadline he himself set.
"That was the president who announced the deadline. Thus, the MPR must take anticipatory measures," he said.
Describing the scenario, Idris said a day before the president announces the decree, each faction will hold an internal meeting inside or around the legislative assembly building complex.
On July 20, all 700 members of the MPR will be asked to be at the legislative assembly building to wait for the president's announcement.
"We will be at the legislative assembly complex before 6 p.m. If the decree is issued, two hours later, the MPR leaders will ask all members to convene a plenary meeting," he said.
The MPR working body has given the MPR leaders full authority to call for a plenary meeting any time due to fragile social and political situation, he added.
Also at the meeting, held at the room of MPR Chairman Amien Rais, were A.M. Lutfi (Reform faction), Hamdan Zoelva (Crescent and Star Party faction), Alihardi Kiaidemak and Darmansyah (the United Development Party faction) and Asnawi Latief (People's Sovereignty Party faction).
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