Gus Dur, change or step down<\/p>\n
From Republika<\/p>\n
Mr. President, you keep making controversial statements while
\nour country is encountering a host of problems: economic crisis,
\nnational disintegration, corruption, absence of the supremacy of
\nlaw and the street justice increasingly practiced by some members
\nof society. Understandably, Mr. President, a lot of people have
\ndemanded that you step down.<\/p>\n
It is true that constitutionally, it is through the mechanisms
\nof the House of Representatives and the People's Consultative
\nAssembly that a president can step down. If the president were
\ndirectly elected by the people, I would also be able to say, \"Mr.
\nPresident, you'd better step down because your performance brings
\nno benefit to the people\".<\/p>\n
This does not mean, however, that the general public cannot
\nconstructively criticize the president. How could you, Mr.
\nPresident, condescend to grant Tommy Soeharto, who has been
\nconvicted, a meeting in a five-star hotel, just to hear him ask
\nfor a pardon. Will you, Mr. President, do the same thing to a
\nthief forced to steal by his empty stomach and unemployment?
\nThen, Mr. President, how could you postpone the settlement of the
\ndebts of three business magnates even though they have obviously
\ninflicted losses on the state. All of this has really hurt the
\npeople's feelings.<\/p>\n
Then, Mr. President, you'd better postpone your next plan to
\ngo abroad. There are many things at home that need to be dealt
\nwith. You'd better make a schedule to visit Aceh, Maluku, Irian
\nJaya (Papua), East Nusa Tenggara, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi. You
\nmust put forward an agenda of peace for the sake of national
\nunity. Do not let them quarrel with, fight with or kill one
\nanother. Any wish to secede from the Unitary Republic of
\nIndonesia is tantamount to rebellion and must therefore be
\nsubject to firm measures. We have the Youth Pledge and this must
\nbe upheld at any cost.<\/p>\n
While we are clamoring for the upholding of human rights, we
\nmust also take strict measures against those engaging in street
\njustice.<\/p>\n
Let bygones be bygones. From now on, Mr. President, please
\nmake sure that your performance and leadership are on the right
\ntrack, the track of the reform movement. Otherwise, the demands
\nfor you to step down will snowball. Before all this happens, Mr.
\nPresident, have you never thought about organizing regular
\nmeetings between the legislature and the government? Or perhaps
\nyou can initiate a Ciganjur-style meeting to discuss the
\ncondition of our beloved country. And the venue? Would Cikampek-
\nKarawang suit you, Mr. President?<\/p>\n
GUS-TYANA<\/p>\n
Karawang, West Java<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-dur-change-or-step-down-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }