Cak Nur invites Susilo and his predecessors to meet<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Although still recuperating from the lingering effects of a major
\nlife-saving operation, prominent Muslim scholar Nurcholish \"Cak
\nNur\" Madjid is set to make a return to the political scene.<\/p>\n
Cak Nur, who is confined to a wheelchair, has invited
\nPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his predecessors Soeharto,
\nB.J. Habibie, Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid, and Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri to attend an event on Monday aimed at \"saving the
\nnational commitment\".<\/p>\n
The meeting, hosted by the Cak Nur-founded Paramadina
\nUniversity, is scheduled for Monday at around 7 p.m. at the
\nNational Archives Building in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The organizer hopes that the former presidents will put aside
\ntheir differences and their varying political backgrounds in
\nattending the event to strengthen national unity.<\/p>\n
Since assuming office in October last year, Susilo has met all
\nthe former presidents, except for Megawati, who leads the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).<\/p>\n
Megawati lost last year's direct presidential election to
\nSusilo, who formerly served in her Cabinet as chief security
\nminister. However, she refused to congratulate Susilo on his
\nvictory, nor did she attend his inauguration ceremony.<\/p>\n
PDI-P secretary-general Pramono Anung could not say whether
\nMegawati would attend the event on Monday.<\/p>\n
\"I have received an invitation and will personally attend, but
\nI don't dare to speculate if Mbak Mega will also attend,\" he told
\nThe Jakarta Post. \"I have not had any communication with her on
\nthis matter.\"<\/p>\n
However, the organizer was optimistic that Megawati would show
\nup.<\/p>\n
Yudi Latif, from Paramadina University, said that so far only
\nHabibie had confirmed he would not attend as he is in Germany.<\/p>\n
\"We have received positive responses from all of them (the
\nformer presidents),\" he said as quoted by Antara. \"Hopefully, the
\npositive responses will be translated into their attendance.\"<\/p>\n
Latif said that Cak Nur would deliver a speech on nationalism
\nduring the event.<\/p>\n
Cak Nur has been out of the public eye since being diagnosed
\nwith liver failure in 2004. He has spent almost a year recovering
\nfrom a series of operations, which included a life-saving liver
\ntransplant in China.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/cak-nur-invites-susilo-and-his-predecessors-to-meet-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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