President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is expected to meet with the House of Representatives' leadership next week to ease tensions over the government's stance on the Iran nuclear issue.
State Secretary Hatta Radjasa said Thursday that Yudhoyono had been informed about a letter from House Speaker Agung Laksono requesting a consultative meeting.
"We will just set the date ... it won't take long. We can have it next week at the State Palace," Hatta told reporters.
Hatta said the meeting could take place next week at its earliest because Agung was currently abroad performing a minor haj pilgrimage.
Numerous factions at the House have demanded the presence of Yudhoyono at a plenary session to answer questions over the government's decision to back harsher UN sanctions against Iran over its nuclear ambitions.
An earlier plenary session rejected a seven-member delegation of ministers sent by Yudhoyono to explain the government's stance on the issue.
A meeting of the House's consultative committee has failed to set a date for a second plenary session.
At the meeting, faction representatives agreed the date for the next plenary session would be set pending the result of the meeting between Yudhoyono and House leaders.
Deputy House Speaker Zainal Ma'arif of the Reform Star Party said all factions had restrained themselves on the issue.
"It is wise if all factions at the House continue to exercise patience in waiting for the result of the planned meeting to get assurance on whether the President will attend the next plenary session," Zainal told reporters.
Factions to have called for the presidential interpellation include the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the National Mandate Party, the National Awakening Party, the Prosperous Justice Party and the United Development Party.
Yudhoyono's Democratic Party faction and the Christian-based Prosperous Peace Party faction defended the President's absence from the first plenary session.
The two factions argued that the House's internal rules allow either the President or his ministers to present a governmental explanation over its policies.
The largest faction at the House, the Golkar Party, is still divided over the issue.
Legislator Yuddy Chrisnandi, a proponent of the House motion, has proposed that Vice President Jusuf Kalla take Yudhoyono's place at the plenary session, which, he said, would end the standoff.
He also called on the House's leadership not to grant Yudhoyono with concessions beyond what the factions agreed on during Thursday's meeting.
Sidarto Danusubroto of the PDI-P has insisted that Yudhoyono himself be present at the next plenary session.
Source : www.thejakartapost.com
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