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Indonesia's embattled president meets with ministers, generals

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February 4, 2001 

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - In a show of unity two days after parliament censured President Abdurrahman Wahid, Indonesia's government vowed on Saturday to stick together and crack down on corruption.

After the two-hour meeting attended by Wahid, Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri, ministers and top military commanders, a spokesmen sought to allay rumors that some members of the administration were wavering in their support for the head of state.

"It's totally a fully functioning Cabinet team," Wimar Witoelar said. "If you compare it to past governments, this is the only in which issues are discussed with candor and openness"

Wahid has been under intense political pressure since Thursday, when an overwhelming majority of legislators endorsed a report by a parliamentary inquiry that found he had misled investigators about his involvement in the two corruption cases.

Since then, there have been daily street demonstrations for and against Wahid's administration. On Saturday, pro-Wahid rallies blocked roads in central Java, media reports said.

The parliamentary report claimed Wahid knew about the illegal transfer of dlrs 4 million from the coffers of the state food agency, Bulog, by a former business associate. It also slammed him for failing to declare a dlrs 2 million aid donation from Sultan Hasanal Bolkiah, the ruler of neighboring oil-rich Brunei.

However, the report contained no conclusive evidence that Wahid had benefitted from either scheme.

Witoelar said the parliamentary censure had given the government a new political will, saying it would intensify its so-far largely symbolic battle against corruption.

"This time we will do the reform with no compromises to the political satisfactions of other parties," he said, adding that prosecution of cases would be speeded up.

During the 32-year rule of former dictator Suharto, Indonesia was ranked as having one of the most corrupt governments in the world. Since Suharto stepped down in 1998, prosecutors have won convictions in only two major corruption cases.

Meanwhile, a report in Media Indonesia daily said Wahid was preparing legal action against lawmakers who censured him over his alleged role in the corruption affairs.

The report appeared to raise the temperature in the mudslinging match between the president and the legislature, which has also threatened to hand over evidence of Wahid's alleged criminal actions to prosecutors.

"In the near future we will file criminal charges against members and leaders of the parliament," said Indra Sahnun Lubis, the head of Wahid's legal team, as quoted by the daily.

Lubis did not provide details on the possible charges. Such a move would undermine the legality of parliament's action against Wahid, which Lubis described as "slanderous."

Witoelar confirmed that the government was forming a legal team to formulate its response to the censure motion, but declined to elaborate further.

Wahid has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the two affairs and said the money was spent on relief aid to Aceh province, where a struggle for independence has claimed thousands of lives.