Gus Dur calls for patience<\/p>\n
PASURUAN, East Java (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid told
\nmembers of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and his supporters here on
\nFriday to stop their destructive acts, exercise restraint and try
\nto understand the process of democracy.<\/p>\n
Speaking after noon prayers at Al-Anwar Grand Mosque in
\nPasuruan, some 60 kilometers east of Surabaya, the President told
\nthe 10,000 people in the congregation, mostly NU members, that NU
\nmembers were enraged. \"It's just due to the memorandum (from the
\nHouse of Representatives\/DPR). We all should be patient as taught
\nin the holy Koran.\"<\/p>\n
The President's entourage included, among others, Military
\nCommander Adm. Widodo AS.<\/p>\n
He was referring to a House memorandum of censure that was
\nissued following the House's conclusion that he was involved in
\nthe Bulog and Brunei financial scandals.<\/p>\n
Many had urged the President to travel to East Java to calm
\nhis supporters following the destruction of Golkar offices in
\nSurabaya and other towns in the province.<\/p>\n
East Java is a NU stronghold. Abdurrahman also chaired the
\nlargest Muslim organization for 15 years before being elected
\nPresident.<\/p>\n
Mujib Imron, chairman of the NU chapter in Pasuruan, told the
\nPresident that NU members had tried to restrain themselves and to
\nmaintain order in the province.<\/p>\n
\"But things depend on those who made the memorandum. Yet they
\nplan to hasten the People's Consultative Assembly's (MPR) special
\nsession (to impeach Abdurrahman). You have told us (to be
\npatient). But if they (the House members) make a new problem, and
\nthen Amien Rais and Akbar Tandjung. Who will be responsible, not
\nyou,\" Mujib said, referring to speakers of MPR and DPR
\nrespectively.<\/p>\n
In an emotional tone, Mujib also asked the President to have
\nthe Golkar Party disbanded for the transgressions it committed in
\nits 32 years in power.<\/p>\n
Responding to the request, the President said that disbanding
\nGolkar was not as easy as people thought. \"Let's wait for the
\nnext election. I will disclose all the sins Golkar really
\ncommitted. People will see its evil.<\/p>\n
\"It would be better for NU members now to restrain themselves
\nand be more patient than to think about disbanding Golkar. I
\nbelieve that my visit to Pasuruan is the most appropriate step to
\ndiminish the people's anger.\"<\/p>\n
The President said in Jakarta on Thursday that his visit would
\nonly calm down NU members for one or two days.<\/p>\n
Separately, National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro told
\nreporters in Jakarta on Friday that eight people suspected of
\nvandalism in Surabaya had been arrested. He declined to identify
\nthe suspects, or the group to which they belong.<\/p>\n
He said that East Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Sutanto would
\nnot be replaced despite the fact that a legislator in House
\nCommission I for political affairs wanted Sutanto to be replaced
\ndue to his failure to prevent the recent mayhem in the province.<\/p>\n
10 arrests<\/p>\n
During the dialog, the President unexpectedly revealed that 10
\nprominent people would be apprehended within three weeks.<\/p>\n
\"They are all leaders,\" he said without going into detail. He
\nassured the people, however, that Attorney General Marzuki
\nDarusman had confirmed the plan (to arrest the 10) as part of
\nlegal efforts to uphold the reform movement.<\/p>\n
The President also expressed pleasure at installing Baharuddin
\nLopa as minister of justice and human rights to replace Yusril
\nIhza Mahendra,<\/p>\n
He said he saluted Lopa, who he called intrepid.<\/p>\n
\"This man is fearless. He deserves to be an NU member,\" he
\nsaid jokingly, which was applauded by the audience.<\/p>\n
The President then proceeded to the East Java capital of
\nSurabaya to talk with some 100 ulemas and public figures about
\nthe recent chaos in the province.<\/p>\n
He told the audience packing the Grahadi gubernatorial hall
\nthat, based on military reports, certain groups in several towns
\nhad plotted the destruction of Golkar, National Mandate Party
\n(PAN) and Muhammadiyah office buildings in East Java.<\/p>\n
The President did not specify the groups clearly, but hinted
\nthat the groups were involved in the July 27, 1996 violence in
\nJakarta when the government and military-backed groups forcefully
\ntook over the office of the then Indonesian Democratic Party
\n(PDI) led by Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, chairman of the East Java Muhammadiyah, Fasichul
\nLisan, who was also invited to the discussion, expressed
\ndisillusionment that not all attacks on properties by the
\nPresident's supporters were justified.<\/p>\n
\"It was a one-sided meeting. There had been a plan to give
\nchances to certain people to speak up. I wanted to disclose
\nthings about the Muhammadiyah office's destruction, but I was not
\ngiven the chance to speak.\"<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta the National Committee for Muhammadiyah Younger
\nGeneration condemned on Friday the violent actions of the
\nPresident's supporters toward Muhammadiyah's property.<\/p>\n
Paryanto Rohma, the committee coordinator, said the committee
\nwas impatient to see Muhammadiyah made a scapegoat of the current
\npolitical uproar.<\/p>\n
\"If the actions were just because of Amien Rais' criticism of
\nGus Dur, they (the attackers) should know that Amien's move had
\nnothing to do with Muhammadiyah.\" (nur\/23\/ylt\/sur)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-dur-calls-for-patience-1447893297",
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