Abdurrahman deserves a chance: Expert

Abdurrahman deserves a chance: Expert

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid
should be given a chance to prove his Cabinet lineup can work to
overcome future challenges, an expert said on Sunday.

A sociologist of state Hasanuddin University, M. Darwis, said
people should avoid making hasty judgments about the new
President's decisions.

Darwis was commenting on nationwide protests against
Abdurrahman's decision to scrap the information and social
service ministries from his 35-strong Cabinet.

"Being in opposition without giving a chance is certainly not
the democratic way," he said.

"It's too premature to judge whether he (Abdurrahman) can
perform his duties. It's naive, and uneducated as well, to
blindly condemn him," Darwis said.

He welcomed people's critical response to the abolishment of
the two ministries, but warned that such a stand should not defy
national interests on which Abdurrahman might base his
controversial decision.

Abdurrahman said the ministry of information and ministry of
social services were abolished to give way for more public
participation. He said the government should not control
information and the affairs of society.

Protests continued on Saturday despite the government's
promise to take care of the 53,000 employees from the two defunct
ministries.

Hundreds of information ministry workers who claimed to
represent the ministry's 23 regency offices in South Sulawesi
rallied here in a motorcade.

The state employees departed from the ministry's provincial
office on Jl. Sultan Hasanuddin for the legislature building,
riding on motorbikes and in cars.

"It was unwise to abolish the ministry because the state needs
a mediator to dispatch information to people," Abdul Latif Lote,
the office head, said.

On the same day, some 1,500 employees from the social services
ministry assembled at the provincial legislative council building
in the Central Java capital of Semarang.

Group coordinator Achmad Fauzi said there were 50,000 disabled
people in Central Java, including 30,000 blind people and 4,000
beggars who heavily relied on help from the social services
ministry.

"If the ministry is abandoned, who will take care of them?"
Achmad protested.

In Makassar (formerly Ujungpandang), Darwis also suggested
that students maintain their role as opposition force to control
the present government.

"The present Cabinet is tolerant because it includes figures
known as critics in the past," Darwis said.

He said President Abdurrahman and Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri, who were both opposition leaders in the past,
should be given six months to prove their ability.

Darwis said he believed the two leaders would be prepared to
face criticism.

But Darwis criticized Abdurrahman who appeared to lose his
temper when he met with former minister of information Muhammad
Yunus, who represented hundreds of his protesting staff members.
(27/har/edt)