Wan Azizah to address Indonesian seminar<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the wife of former
\nMalaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, is scheduled to address a
\nseminar on women in Jakarta on Aug. 28 to be attended by leading
\nIndonesian politician Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
Antara quoted Yunis Sofiyah, chief organizer of the seminar
\ntitled \"Women Facing Globalization of the 21st Century\" as saying
\non Friday that Wan Azizah had confirmed her attendance through
\npolitician Abdullah Hehamahua. Abdullah is chairman of the Siti
\nMasyitoh foundation, the seminar organizer.<\/p>\n
Yunis, however, said the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur
\nhad yet \"to give the green light\" to Wan Azizah, who took up
\nleadership of the Malaysian reform movement following her
\nhusband's replacement and subsequent arrest on corruption and
\nsexual impropriety charges.<\/p>\n
\"This will be a seminar on women, not a political seminar,\"
\nYunis said, adding the event was a fund raiser for the poor with
\nWan Azizah to be featured as the keynote speaker.<\/p>\n
Other speakers set to address the seminar include First Lady
\nHasri Ainun Habibie, woman activist Nursyahbani Katjasungkana,
\nMinister of Social Services Yustika Baharsyah, businesswoman
\nMoeryati Sudibyo, religious affairs minister Malik Fadjar and
\nscholar Nurcholish Madjid.<\/p>\n
Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) garnered the most votes in the June 7 general
\nelection. She is also considered a strong presidential candidate
\nwith zealous supporters promising a revolution if her bid is
\nunsuccessful.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Antara reported from New York that senior East
\nTimorese resistance figure Jose Ramos-Horta had praised two
\npresidential nominees, incumbent B.J. Habibie and Megawati. The
\nagency quoted him as expressing optimism that whoever would be
\nchosen as president would abide by and implement the New York
\nAgreement on East Timor.<\/p>\n
\"I like Habibie and I am fond of Megawati. If I were a member
\nof the Indonesian legislative body, I would choose both of them.
\nFor sure, whoever is chosen later, I am optimistic that the new
\nIndonesian government will abide by the international commitment
\nit has agreed to,\" Horta said on Thursday afternoon local time.<\/p>\n
Megawati's rival, Amien Rais of the National Mandate Party
\n(PAN), recently expressed concern that the polarized support for
\nthe two leading presidential candidates would divide people. He
\nrecently introduced an alliance of political parties, which he
\ncalled the \"axis force\", to break the deadlock and present an
\nalternative presidential candidate.<\/p>\n
The idea has been fiercely debated. On Thursday, political
\nobserver J. Nasikun of Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta said
\nthe real balancing force would be represented not by Amien's
\ngroup but by Indonesia's largest Islamic organization Nahdlatul
\nUlama (NU).<\/p>\n
He said NU would be able to offset the increasing antagonism
\nbetween supporters of \"religious nationalism\" and supporters of
\n\"secular nationalism\" represented in the polarization between
\nrespectively Amien's party and Megawati's.<\/p>\n
He said history had repeatedly demonstrated that the 30
\nmillion-strong NU had the greatest potential to play the
\nbalancing act. NU chairman Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid is
\nMegawati's mentor and a keen advocate for her presidency.<\/p>\n
\"In every national crisis that threatens national unity, which
\ngrows because of tensions between national interest and religious
\ninterest, NU has consistently supported the first,\" Nasikun said.<\/p>\n
\"PAN's decision to join a few Islam-based political parties in
\na middle-of-the-way camp will only make it an unpopular political
\nparty.\"<\/p>\n
He predicted PDI Perjuangan would eventually form a coalition
\nwith the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the National Mandate
\nParty for the presidential election.<\/p>\n
\"If I predict it right, NU -- through PKB -- will form a
\ncoalition with PDI Perjuangan. Then PAN will follow suit.\"<\/p>\n
Nasikun maintained that PAN would have to compromise if it
\nwanted to obtain better results in the next general election.
\n(23\/swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/wan-azizah-to-address-indonesian-seminar-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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