Gus Dur is for Soeharto's renomination<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Prominent Moslem scholar Abdurrahman Wahid
\nyesterday promised to give his support if the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) decides to reelect President Soeharto
\nin 1998.<\/p>\n
The chairman of Indonesia's largest Moslem organization
\nNahdlatul Ulama (NU) told a gathering of some 1,500 ulemas that
\nhe agreed with President Soeharto that the most important thing
\nin the national leadership succession is not who will sit at the
\nnation's helm, but whether the process takes place
\nconstitutionally.<\/p>\n
\"Which is why NU will support Pak Harto if the factions of the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly choose him. It's not a matter of
\nwho, the most important thing is the Assembly's (decision),\" he
\nsaid at a meeting of Rabithah Ma'ahid Islamiyah, an association
\nof NU Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) held at the Genggong
\nPesantren in Probolinggo, East Java, on Sunday evening.<\/p>\n
He was speaking about the need for ulemas to retain their
\nindependence even in the face of an onslaught of visits or aid
\nfrom parties outside the schools. Aid should not influence the
\nulemas when deciding their stance over many issues, including
\npolitics, he said.<\/p>\n
There is nothing wrong with receiving aid, in financial or in
\nother forms, but it should not be to the detriment of the schools
\nthemselves, he said.<\/p>\n
\"If you receive aid which is not needed by the pesantren, it
\nwill ruin the schools' reputation so badly that people will
\nabandon you,\" he was quoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
\"Remember, Pak Harto himself has reminded us not to expect too
\nmuch from the government,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman Wahid, better known as Gus Dur, leads Forum
\nDemokrasi, a loose association of government critics. He was
\nreelected chairman of NU in Dec. 1994 and since then had not been
\ninvited for a formal audience with President Soeharto, a
\ntradition for newly elected or reelected leaders of social and
\npolitical organizations.<\/p>\n
Observers had taken this as a sign that Abdurrahman did not
\nhave the President's blessing. However, on Saturday, President
\nSoeharto opened the NU pesantren meeting after warmly taking
\nAbdurrahman's hand and walking with him to the dais.<\/p>\n
Despite his critical stance on many government policies,
\nAbdurrahman Wahid had in the past repeatedly voiced support for
\nSoeharto. Last year, for instance, he predicted Soeharto would
\nretain power in 1998 because he was skeptical that the People's
\nConsultative Assembly would elect a new president in 1998.<\/p>\n
On another occasion, he said NU, which has strong loyalty from
\nsome 30 million people, would defend President Soeharto against
\nany attempt to unseat him by unconstitutional means.<\/p>\n
Not only that. NU will serve as a buttress for the incumbent
\nPresident. \"If necessary, two million NU followers will take to
\nthe street and protest against anybody who tries to harm
\nPresident Soeharto,\" he said last June. \"Never doubt the loyalty
\nof this organization toward this nation.\"<\/p>\n
Next year, Indonesia will hold its seventh general election.
\nIn 1998, the 1,000-strong People's Consultative Assembly will
\nconvene, elect a president and vice president, and prepare the
\nbroad guidelines for state policies. As the convention draws
\nnear, public discourse on national leadership intensifies.<\/p>\n
The ruling Golkar last month drew up a list of criteria for
\nthe next president. The criteria includes a requirement for the
\nperson to be able to take decisions during difficult times.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, House Speaker Wahono welcomed Golkar's criteria and
\nsaid it could be used as input for the nation when it decides to
\nchoose its leaders.<\/p>\n
Addressing a plenary session to mark the opening of the House
\nof Representatives second hearing session for 1996\/1997, Wahono
\nsaid that Golkar's nine point criteria for presidential elections
\nmeets the future's challenges. (swe\/ste)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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