Gus Dur's motive for meetings questioned<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Amien Rais expressed perplexity on Monday over
\nAbdurrahman Wahid's recent personal meetings with President B.J.
\nHabibie and Minister of Defense Gen. Wiranto, saying the campaign
\nto establish a national dialog should be conducted with others.<\/p>\n
Amien insisted that a national dialog should involve all
\ninterest groups, and going it alone as Abdurrahman seems to be
\ndoing would not settle problems that created the need for
\nnational dialog.<\/p>\n
\"I'm really sorry that I have to say that he (Abdurrahman) has
\ngone it alone,\" Amien said. He used the term 'nyelonong', a
\nJavanese word for a person who suddenly scampers away from his
\ngroup. \"If I were him I would stick to prior agreements, though
\nwe may have differences over certain matters,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Amien, who chairs the National Mandate Party (PAN), and
\nAbdurrahman, the leader of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Islamic
\norganization, belonged to what is known as the Ciganjur Group. It
\noriginated from a renowned meeting at Abdurrahman's house in
\nCiganjur, South Jakarta, between four reformist figures: Amien,
\nAbdurrahman, Megawati Soekarnoputri of the splintered Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party, and Yogyakarta monarch Sri Sultan
\nHamengkubuwono X.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, also known fondly as Gus Dur, met with Wiranto
\nlast Wednesday and Habibie last Saturday to discuss various
\nproblems troubling Indonesia. The meetings were believed to be a
\nfollow-up of Abdurrahman's call for a national dialog to head off
\nthe threat of social revolution.<\/p>\n
Amien said the two meetings could be considered silaturrahmi
\n(gatherings of good friends). He said the closed sessions could
\nnot be seen as a national dialog. \"We cannot say that a meeting
\nbetween a few people is a national dialog,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"I hope that both meetings were called upon Gus Dur's personal
\ninitiative, (that he was acting) not on behalf of the signatories
\nof the Ciganjur declaration,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Ciganjur meeting issued a five-point declaration and eight
\ncalls to the government. One point in the leaders' declaration
\nsays the Armed Forces' sociopolitical role should be phased out
\nwithin six years at the latest.<\/p>\n
The leaders called for a fair and just general election
\nmonitored by an independent team to be held next year.<\/p>\n
They also called for the fight against corruption, collusion
\nand nepotism to be intensified, with Amien at this point adding
\nthat the drive should begin with an investigation into the wealth
\nof former president Soeharto, his family and his cronies.<\/p>\n
Describing the state's problems as an acute and dangerous
\ndisease, Amien said only a national dialog could function as
\nsurgery to cure the condition.<\/p>\n
\"The national dialog, involving all parties of interest, must
\nbe held in a transparent manner and be open to the press,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Amien also called on students not to relent in pressuring the
\ngovernment to eliminate corruption, collusion and nepotism,
\nbeginning with an investigation into Soeharto, his family and his
\nfriends.<\/p>\n
\"If the student actions stop, the pro-status quo supporters
\nwill make a terrifying comeback,\" he warned. (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-durs-motive-for-meetings-questioned-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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