INDONESIA: INDONESIAN PRESIDENT ABDURRAHMAN WAHID HAS WARNED HIS COUNTRY MAY FALL APART IF EFFORTS TO OUST HIM SUCCEED

Record ID: 208376

  • Title: INDONESIA: INDONESIAN PRESIDENT ABDURRAHMAN WAHID HAS WARNED HIS COUNTRY MAY FALL APART IF EFFORTS TO OUST HIM SUCCEED
  • Date: 25th May 2001
  • Summary: JAKARTA, INDONESIA (MAY 26, 2001) (REUTERS) 1. SV INDONESIAN PRESIDENT ABDURRAHMAN WAHID WALKING INTO PRESS CONFERENCE 0.03 2. CU PHOTOGRAPHER 0.07 3. SV WAHID TAKING HIS SEAT 0.17 4. MCU (Bahasa Indonesia) WAHID SAYING "We will declare independence and you'd be the president of Aceh. On the other hand, leaders in West Papua, Irian, have also called to be independent and asked for me to be president. Last night, leaders in East Java have also said they will proclaim independence if I am forced to step down." 0.44 5. SV JOURNALISTS 0.49 6. MCU (Bahasa Indonesia) WAHID SAYING "One must take this (threat of a national split) seriously. Do not regard this as lightly or baseless. Today, I heard that East Java Governor Imam Utowo will announce on television, saying East Java rejects the special session." 1.12 7. SLV OF PRESS CONFERENCE 1.15 8. MCU (Bahasa Indonesia) WAHID SAYING "There need to be a constitutional decree to delegate more power to the vice president. The purpose of issuing such a decree is to find a middle ground to avoid an emergency situation or the special session." 1.47 9. SV WAHID LEAVING 1.56 JAKARTA, INDONESIA (MAY 25, 2001) (REUTERS) 10. SLV CAR LEAVING RESIDENCE OF VICE PRESIDENT MEGAWATI SUKARNOPUTRI 2.02 11. SV PULL IN MCU OF ROY JANIS, DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF MEGAWATI'S INDONESIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY-STRUGGLE (PDI-P), SPEAKING TO JOURNALISTS "The delegation of power is not the business of the president and vice president. It is under the authority of the MPR (highest legislative). Therefore, Megawati is sticking to the constitution. If she accepts the delegation of power (from Wahid), it means she is against the constitution. So it is impossible to be accepted" 2.21 12. MCU PDI-P SECRETARY GENERAL, PRAMONO ANUNG, WALKING OUT OF MEGAWATI'S RESIDENCE 2.26 13. MCU (Bahasa Indonesia) ANUNG SAYING "There is no other solution apart from settling the problems through parliamentary means and if neccessary holding the special session of the MPR (People's Consultative Assembly). (QUESTION: WHAT ABOUT THE DEADLINE) The issuing of a deadline as a threat will be ignored by us, because if such a thing is tolerated there will be an end to democracy and it is damaging the nation." 2.47 14. SLV MEDIA 2.53 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 9th June 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: JAKARTA, INDONESIA
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Reuters ID: LVABH4LD60AE4SSQHNJCW0FXQQE7
  • Story Text: Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid has warned his
    country may fall apart if efforts to oust him succeed.



    Wahid told a news conference on Saturday (May 26) he
    had offered to share power with vice president Megawati
    Sukarnoputri, to stave off attempts to hold a special session
    of the top legislature, the People's Consultative Assembly,
    which has the power to sack him.

    "There need to be a constitutional decree to delegate more
    power to the vice president. The purpose of issuing such a
    decree is to find a middle ground to avoid an emergency
    situation or the special session," Wahid said.

    But Megawati, who now holds the key to Wahid's future,
    left the nation waiting on the edge of its seat to find out
    whether she would accept Wahid's offer of a power-sharing deal
    or grab it all for herself.

    Wahid said supporters in the rebellious province of Aceh
    and his own political heartland of East Java had both asked
    him to become president, suggesting they would break away from
    Indonesia if the special session goes ahead.

    "We (people of Aceh) will declare independence and you'd
    be the president of Aceh. On the other hand, leaders in West
    Papua, Irian, have also called to be independent and asked for
    me to be president. Last night, leaders in East Java have also
    said they will proclaim independence if I am forced to step
    down.

    "One must take this (threat of a national split)
    seriously. Do not regard this as lightly or baseless. Today, I
    heard that East Java Governor Imam Utowo will announce on
    television, saying East Java rejects the special session,"
    Wahid said.

    Wahid declined to elaborate on his proposed deal with
    Megawati, saying "bargaining" was still going on.

    He left the room without taking questions.

    Increasingly isolated as the political elite have turned
    against him, Wahid has repeatedly resorted to warnings of mass
    violence by his supporters if he is pushed from office after
    just 19 months of stumbling rule.

    Parliament has already censured him twice over two
    financial scandals in what has turned into a wider attack of
    his rule which is pushing Indonesia back into economic and
    political chaos.

    A reported 10 a.m. (0300 GMT) deadline for his estranged
    deputy to respond to his proposal or he would declare a state
    of emergency, passed without incident.

    Megawati aides said she planned to spend the day resting
    in the capital, dismissing reports that she planned herself to
    go to East Java, officially to open an orchid garden.

    Typically, she has kept silent about her views over Wahid's
    latest offer but her aides have said she would reject it.

    "The delegation of power is not the business of the
    president and vice president. It is under the authority of the
    MPR (highest legislative). Therefore, Megawati is sticking to
    the constitution. If she accepts the delegation of power (from
    Wahid), it means she is against the constitution. So it is
    impossible to be accepted," said Roy Janis, deputy chairman of
    Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P).

    Many believe the deepening leadership crisis could drag
    Indonesia back to the brink of mass violence which has
    bedeviled the country's riotous politics for much of its over
    50 years of independence.

    The streets of the capital looked normal on Saturday
    morning and there were no signs of any unusual troop
    movements.


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