Gus Dur's troubles
10-13 November, 1998 - The first superparliament (MPR) session after Suharto resigns fails to address fundamental reform issues.
20 October, 1999 - Abdurrahman Wahid,
backed by only a small party of his own, is appointed the compromise
president by an unstable coalition of mostly New Order parties.
30 January, 2000 - Gus Dur visits
Geneva and paves the way for an internationally mediated 'humanitarian
pause' in Aceh, signed 12 May.
13 February, 2000 - Gus Dur sacks Gen
Wiranto, his coordinating minister for politics and security and
responsible for the East Timor mayhem. This removes the army from top
government.
28 February, 2000 - At Gus Dur's
insistence, Lt-Gen Agus Wirahadikusumah is appointed Kostrad elite
force commander. Agus was seen as a liberal - too liberal for his
military superiors, who managed to have him removed again on 31 July.
21 March, 2000 - Gus Dur hits headlines
till the end of April with his proposal to allow communist ideas again,
banned since 1966. No parliamentarian agrees with him.
24 April, 2000 - Gus Dur sacks
Laksamana Sukardi, a competent minister, from an economic portfolio,
apparently because of pressure from 'black conglomerate' Texmaco that
Laksamana was pursuing.
29 May-4 June, 2000 - Papuan Congress, partly paid for by Gus Dur's government.
7 August, 2000 - Gus Dur's
accountability speech to super-parliament (MPR) is severely criticised
by all party fractions but one.
28 August, 2000 - The main defendant in
the US$57 million Bank Bali corruption scandal (allegedly involving a
1999 Golkar election slush fund) is acquitted, leading to cries of
continued judicial corruption. All other defendants are acquitted
later.
14 September, 2000 - A military-style
car bomb explodes at the Jakarta Stock Exchange, killing 15, the day
before Suharto's trial resumes. More bombs explode at other times,
including dozens all over Indonesia on Christmas Eve.
26 September, 2000 - Tommy Suharto is sentenced to 18 months jail for corruption, but he goes into hiding before police eyes.
28 September, 2000 - A court declares
Suharto medically unfit to stand trial for corruption. No other Suharto
family members face charges.
Early October, 2000 - State Audit
Agency (BPK) says 96% of Rp 144.5 trillion (US$14 billion) of public
recapitalisation funds to 42 sick post-crisis banks was improperly
used.
1 February, 2001 - Parliament (DPR)
passes a censure motion against Gus Dur over two alleged cases of
corruption ('Buloggate' and 'Bruneigate') totalling US$6 million. ii
Inside Indonesia 66: April-June 2001
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