Edi regrets ICKI's failure to materialize<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense and Security Gen. (retired)
\nEdi Sudradjat expressed regret yesterday that the plan to set up
\na new intellectuals organization with a more nationalistic
\noutlook fell through.<\/p>\n
Edi had been one of the first cabinet officials to endorse the
\nplan to set up the Indonesian National Intellectuals Association
\n(ICKI) which its proponents said would counter similar
\norganizations that are based on religion.<\/p>\n
\"Of course I regret that ICKI failed to come into being
\nbecause the idea behind the plan is a good one,\" Edi told
\nreporters yesterday before a cabinet meeting at the Bina Graha
\npresidential office.<\/p>\n
Former coordinating minister for people's welfare Alamsyah
\nRatuperwiranegara, one of the plan's original designers,
\nannounced on Tuesday that he had decided not to go ahead with
\nICKI because of the controversy created by the plan since it was
\npublicly announced in late April.<\/p>\n
In a written statement, which he co-signed with Sambas
\nWirakusumah, a professor and initiator of the plan who is also
\nEdi's elder brother, Alamsjah said the decision was taken \"with a
\nview toward maintaining national stability and unity.\" The
\nstatement added that \"we are not responsible\" should another
\norganization similar to ICKI be formed in the future.<\/p>\n
His announcement came in the wake of a report by the Tempo
\nnewsweekly of a rift between Alamsjah and Maj. Gen. (ret.)
\nMoehono, the rector of Krinsnadwipayana University, who was also
\ninvolved in the preparations to set up ICKI.<\/p>\n
Tempo reported that the alliance between Moehono and Alamsjah
\nbroke apart as each tried to outdo the other by establishing the
\nnew organization.<\/p>\n
Moehono appeared to have the upper hand and a number of
\nscholars who gave their support met last week and voted on a new
\nname, the Association of Intellectuals for the Development of
\nPancasila, which goes by the Indonesian acronym PCPP.<\/p>\n
There were many interpretations about the motive behind
\nestablishing the new organization, but the suggestion that it was
\nto counter the growing strength of ICMI seemed the most plausible
\namid increasing accusations that ICMI was now treading into the
\npolitical arena.<\/p>\n
This raised the spectre of a return to sectarian politicking
\nwhich could threaten the very foundation of the unitary republic,
\nanalysts said.<\/p>\n
Siswono<\/p>\n
The controversy was further fanned when Minister of
\nTransmigration Siswono Yudohusodo, mentioned as a potential
\ncandidate to lead ICKI, publicly attacked ICMI, which is headed
\nby fellow cabinet member, State Minister of Research and
\nTechnology B.J. Habibie.<\/p>\n
Both Habibie and Siswono however tried to dispel all rumors
\nthat there was a rift between them yesterday by embracing one
\nanother before reporters and cameramen.<\/p>\n
\"He is my brother...,\" Habibie said laughingly, \"He is an
\nengineer and so am I. He is a haj and so am I.\"<\/p>\n
Siswono responded, \"He is a nationalist and so am I. He is
\nreligious and so am I.\"<\/p>\n
Habibie said there was no row between them.<\/p>\n
He added that he had nothing to do with Alamsjah's decision
\nnot to go ahead with ICKI.<\/p>\n
Siswono told reporters that ICKI would not have been accepted
\nat least in name because it would have implied that the other
\nintellectual organizations are not nationalists.<\/p>\n
Habibie stressed repeatedly that he was not indulging in
\npractical politics and pointed out that any ICMI members who
\nplayed politics were doing it in their individual capacities and
\nwere not representing ICMI.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that ICMI's members come from all three
\npolitical organizations; Golkar, the United Development Party and
\nthe Indonesian Democratic Party. Golkar's chairman Harmoko is
\nclosely associated with ICMI while one of PPP's most vocal
\nlegislator, Sri Bintang Pamungkas, sits on the ICMI's board.<\/p>\n
It was Siswono who suggested last week that ICMI members were
\npoliticking with the ICMI tag. (arf)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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