Wahid refuses to resign or dissolve parliament

0 Comments | Asian Political News, May 21, 2001

BANGKOK, May 14 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH WAHID'S PRESS CONFERENCE)

Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid said Monday he will neither resign nor dissolve parliament despite severe political pressure on him in Jakarta.

''I will not resign,'' Wahid told a joint news conference with Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra following bilateral talks in Bangkok.

''The press is misled in their estimates, and I don't blame international press because they take only from domestic press,'' he said, alluding to media speculation that his resignation or dissolution of parliament was imminent.

Asked if he would dissolve the parliament or declare a state of emergency, the besieged president said, ''This is what they say. The fact is not like that.''

On April 30, the 500-member House of Representatives (DPR) issued Wahid a second censure over two financial scandals. That and the president's inability to lift the country from economic and political crisis bring him closer to possible impeachment proceedings in the 700-member People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the country's highest constitutional body.

Indonesian Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri said Monday in Jakarta that a special MPR session that could lead to Wahid's impeachment ''cannot be stopped.''

Megawati's remarks followed Wahid's rejection three days earlier of ceding her any more power, saying he had given her authority over all but two things: the basic outline of government policies and the appointment of cabinet members and top officials.

Many political analysts believe Wahid must either immediately resign or transfer much more of his authority to Megawati if further serious political turmoil is to be avoided.

Earlier this month, the president reportedly proposed suspending the DPR through a presidential decree if the pressure on him to resign continues. But the military openly rejected the idea.

On bilateral issues, Thaksin said the two leaders witnessed their foreign ministers sign a protocol relating to economic, trade and tourism cooperation.

''I'm confident all the areas of cooperation agreed upon today shall soon bear fruit,'' the Thai premier said.

Thaksin said the two sides agreed in principle that Indonesia will transport crude oil for refining in Thailand.

Thailand has excessive refining capacity while refining facilities in Indonesia are unable to cope with the country's current demand for 1.4-1.5 million barrels a day, he said, noting that Indonesia currently refines less than one million barrels a day.

But he doubted Thailand could absorb all the surplus from Indonesia, saying it is likely to refine 200,000 barrels of Indonesian oil a day.

The two sides also discussed further cooperation on fisheries and natural rubber.

The Indonesian delegation returned to Jakarta on Monday afternoon after concluding the visit, which lasted less than five hours.