---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 Free Email @KotakPos.com visit: http://my.kotakpos.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------- The Indonesian Observer, 27th June 2000 Megawati rebukes political elite By M. Nafik Abdurrahman The Indonesian Observer SINGAPORE - Vice President Megawati Soekarnopuri last night warned lawmakers against trying to oust the legitimate government during a general session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in August. "Certain parties should not try to politicize the MPR general session," she told a rare press conference at Shangri-la Hotel during her first working visit to Singapore. Megawati said the August assembly is not a special session in which President Abdurrahman Wahid should be made accountable for his service in office since he was democratically elected eight months ago by the MPR. "But it is a forum where the president will just deliver a progress report of the government. Therefore, there must be no notion of whether the report is accepted or not." Megawati was responding to mounting maneuvers by certain political groups to topple or undermine Wahid during the general assembly in August. "Such attempts are imminent," she said. There have been calls by senior lawmakers for Wahid to undergo a medical check-up by a team of independent doctors. The demand was backed by MPR Speaker Amien Rais. The independent examination will clarify as to why the president often issues controversial statements, Rais said. Cabinet reshuffle The vice president said political parties will no longer be involved in reshuffling the current cabinet after the MPR session. "Yes, I think so," Megawati said in a reply to a question if she and Wahid, better known as Gus Dur, would bring in a new cabinet line-up in August. "I am the second person and the president is the first one who holds the mandate from the people. However, I will offer suggestions to the president on any reshuffle," she added. Megawati, who arrived here on Sunday, earlier yesterday held separate talks with Singapore President S.R. Nathan, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew at the Istana Office Wing. The vice president said the discussions were aimed at "following up" on all that was recently agreed to by Wahid and the three Singapore leaders. She did not elaborate. Also yesterday, she met around 300 Indonesians living in Singapore. During the meeting, Megawati called on all Indonesians to join forces to put an end to the crisis in the spice islands of Maluku, which has claimed more than 2,500 victims. "The Maluku problem is not only the government's job to settle," she told the friendly gathering. She admitted that the situation was still "up and down" in Maluku, where Muslims and Christians have been violently clashing since January last year. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 28 Jun 2000 jam 07:28:08 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
