Don't follow Megawati, says Abdurrahman<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Moslem leader Abdurrahman Wahid has called on
\nmembers of the split Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) to
\ndisregard the stance of ousted chief Megawati Soekarnoputri to
\nabstain from voting.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, who leads the 30-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama
\n(NU) Moslem organization and was once thought to have a political
\nalliance with Megawati, said Megawati's decision was a personal
\none and no one should follow it.<\/p>\n
\"I am calling on the cadres, members or supporters of PDI to
\nexercise their political rights on May 29 and disregard the
\npolitical stance of Mbak Mega, because the decision of the
\ndaughter of (the late president) Sukarno is personal in nature,\"
\nAbdurrahman was quoted by Antara as saying in Tegal, Central Java
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, said that Megawati chose
\nnot to vote because she was dissatisfied with the political
\nsituation facing her. \"Her stance is legitimate as long as it's
\npersonal in nature, and not a call for other people to do the
\nsame,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Megawati declared on Thursday that she was returning her
\nregistration form and would abstain from voting. She also called
\non people to exercise their political rights in accordance with
\ntheir conscience.<\/p>\n
Abstaining from voting is legal under the Indonesian electoral
\nlaw, but it is an offense to encourage others not to vote.<\/p>\n
\"If that's Megawati's political decision, then what I can do
\nas a citizen is to call on PDI members and supporters not to
\nfollow in her footsteps,\" Abdurrahman said during a break at a
\nlocal NU function.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman believed Megawati's decision would not affect the
\ngeneral election, and that none of the political contestants
\nshould worry about losing potential supporters.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman did not mention any contestants' names, but it was
\npreviously considered that the Moslem-based United Development
\nParty (PPP) stood to gain from the conflict within PDI. A great
\nnumber of PDI supporters had expressed an intention to vote for
\nPPP in protest of Megawati's rival, government-backed PDI
\nchairman Soerjadi, who ousted her in a rebel congress last year.<\/p>\n
Comments<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman was one of many to comment on Megawati's
\ndeclaration. Another was Golkar leader Subiakto Tjakrawerdaya,
\nwho said after campaigning in Lampung that Megawati's stance
\nwould not adversely affect the general election.<\/p>\n
\"If she doesn't want to use her right, fine, but as a good
\ncitizen she should use it,\" Subiakto, who is also minister of
\ncooperatives and small enterprises, was quoted by Antara as
\nsaying Thursday.<\/p>\n
Political observer Afan Gaffar at Gadjah Mada University in
\nYogyakarta said Megawati's decision would not benefit the PDI or
\nthe Indonesian people.<\/p>\n
\"At the moment, her stance won't have any adverse impact. In
\nthe future, however, there could be people outside of her circle
\ntaking her stance to abstain from voting,\" he said. \"Her becoming
\ngolput (nonvoter) will go on record as part of Indonesian
\npolitical history,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He added that the government still considered nonvoters as
\nirresponsible people. \"She's a public figure, and her followers
\nwill no doubt want to imitate her. If would have been better had
\nshe decided to abstain from voting silently,\" Afan said.<\/p>\n
Political observer Abdul Munir Mulkhan, also of Gadjah Mada
\nUniversity, agreed with Afan that Megawati's stance would not
\nhave much of a repercussion. \"Had she announced it a long time
\nago, more people would have joined her camp,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Criticism came from the rector of Diponegoro University in
\nSemarang and campaigner for Golkar, Muladi, who said Megawati
\n\"should have been wiser\".<\/p>\n
\"Her statement could have negative impacts, because it can
\nserve as a disguised persuasion (for other people to abstain),\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Another professor at Diponegoro University, Satjipto Rahardjo,
\nsaid Megawati should have considered her great number of
\nfollowers. \"Her statement could be construed as a campaign for
\ngolput,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"It's a political maneuver, and her supporters would surely be
\ninfluenced,\" he was quoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
Secretary-general Buttu R. Hutapea of the rival PDI faction
\nsaid \"it's Megawati's right not to vote ... and her stance will
\nnot influence anything.\" (swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dont-follow-megawati-says-abdurrahman-1447893297",
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