Chapter 8 - Challenges Facing Gus Dur

Summary

There was initial confrontation between the Abdurrahman Wahid administration and the legislators. This chapter analyses various challenges faced by his administration and its responses to them, with special reference to the relationship between the President and other institutions which emerged after the fall of Soeharto. It also examines the parliamentary session of July 2000, which questioned Gus Dur, and the annual meeting of the People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat [MPR]) in August 2000 which ended with a Cabinet reshuffle.

Reduced Presidential Power

It should be pointed out that the presidential power of Gus Dur was different from that of Soeharto. During the Soeharto era, the DPR (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, or People's Representative Council) could not subpoena the President. The DPR and MPR Law No. 4/1999 (Article 35) however, which was passed on 1 February 1999, empowers the DPR to subpoena the state and government officials (pejabat negara dan pejabat pemerintah) and citizens to supply information deemed crucial for the national interest. The term “state and government officials” is open to conflicting interpretations. The DPR insisted that this category included the President and immediately used this new power to summon President Habibie who was questioned on his sudden change in the East Timor policy and the Bank Bali scandal. However, Gus Dur maintained that only the MPR had the power to summon the President.