Wahid rejects censure, offers peace with parliament

Wahid: "I don't accept the memorandum (censure)"

In this story: Lawmakers' reaction Censure 'should not be based on assumptions' Religious advice RELATED STORIES, SITES

By Staff and wire reports

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Remaining defiant, Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, rejected a parliamentary censure over two financial scandals and for the first time apologized to parliament.

In his 16-page reply -- read by Minister of Justice and Human Rights Baharuddin Lopa -- Wahid attacked the content of the first memorandum (censure), issued on February 1, as "illogical" and "unconstitutional."

"I couldn't accept the memorandum because it isn't constitutional," said Wahid, who repeatedly has insisted his innocence in the two multi-million dollar financial scandals, known as Buloggate and Bruneigate.

He criticized the special committee -- formed by the House of Representatives to investigate the two scandals -- for being partial and not objective in their work, deliberately excluding evidence that is in favor of him.

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He also launched a spirited defense, denying his wrongdoing in the scandals. He said the accusations were "baseless" and re-iterated that he considered the parliamentary committee which had investigated his role in the multimillion dollar scandals as illegitimate.

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At the end of his speech, however, Wahid showed a conciliatory tone, apologizing to parliament and the country for any "inappropriate behavior."

"Let us end our political conflicts without stopping being critical," he said in the session, which was attended by lawmakers, Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri and led by House Speaker and Golkar party chairman Akbar Tandjung.

Lawmakers' reaction

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The deputy head of former ruling Golkar Party branded Wahid's response censure as "definitely unsatisfactory."

"It was definitely unsatisfactory. It only made clear the president's other weaknesses," Slamet Effendy Yusuf, legislator and deputy chairman of the second biggest party in parliament.

"He did not explain at all why all of this business is around his inner circle."

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which holds the majority of parliamentary seats and is chaired by Megawati, seems split in their reaction to Wahid's reply.

"I appreciate his reply but I expected that he would skirt around the legality of the matter," said Arifin Panigoro, legislator and PDI-P parliamentary faction leader.

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"PDI-P is most likely on its way to the second memorandum (censure). Personally, I'm for it."

However, deputy chairman of the party, Roy Janis, offered more hope to the beleaguered Wahid.

"PDI-P has no intention of ousting the president. We only want to correct him," he told reporters.

Censure 'should not be based on assumptions'

The first of the scandals involving Wahid, dubbed Buloggate, involves the alleged theft of $4 million from the state food agency Bulog by Wahid's personal masseur, who claimed he received Wahid's order to take the money .

The second scandal, known as Bruneigate, concerns Wahid's acceptance of $2 million in aid from the Sultan of Brunei intended for the troubled province of Aceh.

The parliamentary rebuke is the most serious threat so far to the country's first democratically elected president whose 17-month rule has failed to pull Indonesia out of three years of economic and political crisis.

"It is hard not to see the censure as the result of a dislike of the president or aimed at toppling the president...the censure does not stand on the principle of justice," he said.

"The first memorandum is a political verdict for something that never happened," said the president, often known by his nickname Gus Dur.

"As a president, I don't mind being criticized, given memorandum or asked to leave (by parliament) as long as they fulfill the criteria and procedures, and prove I have violated the constitution… it should not be based on assumptions."

Religious advice

The nearly blind Muslim cleric also delivered a religious advice in his reply: "We shouldn't be unjust even to someone whom we don't like; it is forbidden by God.

"Inviting an injustice means inviting torments from Allah."

He rejected the need for the second memorandum, saying he has responded quickly to the first one. Wahid had until March to reply to the first rebuke.

Parliament, which will go on recess on April 2, has scheduled to convene on April 30 to decide its stance to Wahid's reply.

If they reject Wahid's reply, they would issue the second memorandum, which needs to be answered by Wahid within a month. If the second reply fails to satisfy, they could hold a special session to impeach the president, a complex and untested procedure to remove the head of state from office.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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