Amien becomes professor, plans to quit campus<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the National Mandate Party Amien
\nRais stated on Saturday he would resign from Gadjah Mada
\nUniversity where he teaches, just as he acquired the long coveted
\nposition of professor.<\/p>\n
However, he said he hoped to return to teaching after he
\nretires from politics.<\/p>\n
A new rule on civil servants has led many to choose between
\ntheir jobs and political parties.<\/p>\n
Amien, a scholar in Middle East affairs, previously said he
\nwould try to take a leave of absence from the campus.<\/p>\n
In his speech, Amien, who teaches at the university's School
\nof Social and Political Sciences, said "absolute powerlessness"
\nwas just as dangerous as "absolute power".<\/p>\n
While a consequence of absolute power is oppression and
\nexploitation, a consequence of powerlessness can be the
\ndestruction of the establishment, "with extraordinary
\nramifications", he said.<\/p>\n
In his address titled "Power, Powerlessness and
\nDemocratization of Power", Amien said leaders in a state too
\ndependent on power would monopolize the truth, in which justice
\ncould never be realized. Those without power had no choice but to
\n"loot, destroy and run amok", said Amien, who will turn 54 soon.<\/p>\n
"The empowerment for the powerless takes the form of
\ndestructive actions," he said, citing recent unrest.<\/p>\n
Powerlessness, he said, would eventually grow where parties
\nwho repeatedly tried to take part in decision-making repeatedly
\nfailed. This, he said, raised concerns of apathy ahead of the
\ncoming elections because of the powerlessness widely experienced
\nover three decades.<\/p>\n
Amien acknowledged on Friday there were some who protested his
\nprofessorship, because his activities had led him to rare
\nappearances on campus. Luckily, he said, Minister of Education
\nand Culture Juwono Sudarsono said his frequent "lectures" in
\nseveral cities should be taken into account.<\/p>\n
Amien told The Jakarta Post that some of his supporters said
\nit would be "quite irresponsible and unethical" if he left
\npolitics now to teach full-time. Amien has been recognized as one
\nof the leading figures in the reform movement.<\/p>\n
Amien said his decision to leave the state university would
\nlead to a loss of income. However, Amien said the income of his
\nwife, Kusnasriyati Sri Rahayu, from their restaurant and a small
\ncompany producing educational toys, apart from his compensation
\nfrom public lectures, would compensate for the loss of his job at
\nthe university.<\/p>\n
The National Mandate Party (PAN), while enjoying large support
\nfrom a popular, inclusive platform apart from the leadership of
\nAmien himself, has internal rifts among its executives.<\/p>\n
Amien claims that "95 percent" of the conflicts are well
\nhandled. Only a few are "unnatural", he said. "For instance,
\npeople of a certain ethnic group refuse to join PAN if the
\nleadership is of another ethnic group."<\/p>\n
Cited as one of the reasons for rifts in PAN is that members
\nof the Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, which Amien used to
\nchair, try to dominate the party. (swa)<\/p>",
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