Nurcholish meets Sultan<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA: Muslim scholar and presidential hopeful Nurcholish
\nMadjid held a closed-door meeting with Sultan Hamengkubuwono X
\nlate on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
Speaking to journalists after the meeting that lasted for
\nalmost five hours until early Wednesday, Nurcholish, or Cak Nur,
\nas he is popularly known, said that there were a lot of ideas
\ndiscussed during the meeting.<\/p>\n
\"I learned a lot from the Sultan, especially regarding the
\ncurrent governance crisis,\" said Cak Nur, adding that as one of
\nthe Ciganjur Declaration leaders, the Sultan felt morally
\nresponsible in guarding the course of the reform.<\/p>\n
Cak Nur also said that the Sultan seemed to indicate during
\nthe meeting that a new president was needed in the next
\ngovernment, arguing that the current government had failed to
\nimplement the reform movement's mandate. One of the indicators,
\nhe said, was the weakness of the current government in handling
\ncorruption, nepotism and collusion cases.<\/p>\n
Cak Nur also said that he and the Sultan agreed that it was
\nnot necessary to stop President Megawati Soekarnoputri from
\ncompeting in the upcoming presidential election.<\/p>\n
\"It entirely depends on the people's (voter's) judgment,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Both also agreed that whoever won the presidential election
\nshould be treated as the one who had the right to govern the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
\"We have to accept whoever wins the election, good or
\nbad,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia will hold its first-ever direct presidential
\nelection on July 5, 2004. Megawati, chairperson of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), plans to run for
\nreelection. --JP<\/p>",
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