Pro- and antigovt rallies staged in several cities<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): More students and youths turned out for rallies
\nagainst and in support of the government on Thursday as the
\ninvestigation into President Abdurrahman Wahid's alleged
\ninvolvement in two financial scandals came close to its finale.<\/p>\n
Thousands of students from universities and academies in
\nJakarta held a gathering at the Management and Information
\nTechnology Institute (Stemik) campus in Rawamangun, East Jakarta,
\ncalling for the President's resignation due to his government's
\nfailure to live up to its pledge of instituting sweeping reform.<\/p>\n
\"President Abdurrahman Wahid should step down voluntarily as a
\nresult of the government's failure to bring about economic
\nrecovery, restore security and order and enforce the law,\"
\nBurhanuddin, who spoke on behalf of the senates of 13
\nuniversities, institutes and academies, said.<\/p>\n
The universities and academies were, among others, the Krisna
\nDwipayana University (Unkris), Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic
\nInstitute (IAIN), Indonesian Academy of Management (AMI) and
\nJakarta National University (UNJ).<\/p>\n
Burhanuddin said that corrupt, collusive and nepotistic
\npractices remained prevalent in the bureaucracy and even the
\nPresident was implicated in the two scandals popularly referred
\nto as Bruneigate and Buloggate.<\/p>\n
In the defense and security fields, the government was able to
\nmake neither the people or foreign investors feel secure as a
\nresult of the prevailing political instability and legal
\nuncertainties.<\/p>\n
\"The government's failure is connected with the way in which
\nthe President has led the nation. He is part of the problem,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The protesters then joined thousands of other students and
\nyouths in an antigovernment rally in front of the House of
\nRepresentatives, demanding a transparent conclusion to the
\nHouse's investigation into Buloggate and Bruneigate.<\/p>\n
One of the students suggested a forcible ouster of the
\nPresident if he refused to step down voluntarily for his alleged
\ninvolvement in the two scandals.<\/p>\n
The demonstrators said they would attend the House's Jan. 29
\nplenary session which will reveal those allegedly involved in the
\nscandals.<\/p>\n
The noisy rallies came amid calls issued by the security
\nauthorities urging both those in favor of and those against the
\ngovernment to exercise restraint and maintain peace and order.<\/p>\n
\"We expect people not to cause disorder in Jakarta due to
\nserious implications this would have. We call on people to keep
\nthe capital safe,\" Coordinating Minister for Political, Social
\nand Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said, adding that
\nboth the government and police would remain on the alert for
\npossible clashes.<\/p>\n
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto aired a similar
\nmessage, asking people to avoid mass mobilization when expressing
\ntheir support for or criticism of the government.<\/p>\n
\"Based on our experience, there are always infiltrators
\npresent when we get a large crowd. They take advantage of the
\ncrowd,\" Endriartono said after briefing Jakarta Military Command
\nstaff on Thursday.<\/p>\n
In order to allay tension, the chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama
\nyouth wing Ansor, Syaifullah Yusuf, renewed his pledge that none
\nof the organization's activists would take to the street to
\ncounter antigovernment protests on Monday.<\/p>\n
Separately, hundreds of students from Bengkulu University, the
\nUniversity of Indonesia and the Bogor Institute of Agriculture
\n(IPB) joined in demanding the dissolution of the Golkar Party
\nwhich they accused of protecting corruptors loyal to former
\npresident Soeharto's New Order regime.<\/p>\n
Another rally was held in Makassar, South Sulawesi, where some
\n100 students and youths gathered at the provincial legislature to
\nask for a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly
\nto impeach the President for his alleged role in financial and
\nextramarital scandals.<\/p>\n
Agus Haikal, coordinator of the demonstration, said the two
\ncases provided adequate legal grounds for the Assembly to impeach
\nthe President.<\/p>\n
In Surabaya, East Java, the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI Perjuangan), National Awakening Party (PKB), Golkar
\nParty, National Mandate Party (PAN) and United Development Party
\n(PPP) factions in the East Java provincial legislature issued a
\njoint communique urging that the national leadership of
\nAbdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Soekarnoputri be maintained until
\n2004.<\/p>\n
\"The joint statement represents the voice of the people in
\nthis province who are longing for the peace that is needed for
\ndemocracy to flourish,\" Fathurrosyid, chairman of the PKB
\nfaction, said.<\/p>\n
In Bandung, West Java, the provincial legislature and the
\nIndonesia Youth Forum called for an end to the conflict in the
\npolitical elite, for fear that it could spread to the grassroots
\nin the regions. (02\/25\/27\/dja\/nur\/rms)<\/p>",
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