Abdurrahman's trial balloon?

In a recent interview with Sydney Morning Herald correspondent David Jenkins, published on the Internet, President Abdurrahman Wahid said he was contemplating resigning in September. Up to the past weekend no one has confirmed the report. In light of the recent dismissal of two of his economic ministers, however, it could be that by making such a remark as reported by the Australian newspaper, Abdurrahman was aiming at achieving a number of objectives.

One such objective could be that by stating his desire to cut short his tenure as President, Abdurrahman was hoping to end the ongoing public debate concerning the two ministers' dismissal, presumably on suspicion of corruption, collusion and nepotism. This could in turn quash the demands for clarification -- something that might well make things even more difficult for Abdurrahman than they are now.

Another objective could be to gauge the validity of current assessments that Abdurrahman at this stage finds himself in the process of losing his legitimacy. It could be that by mentioning the issue (of possibly resigning), Abdurrahman was hoping to elicit the kind of feedback that refutes such an assessment. In the context of the upcoming session of the People's Consultative Assembly in August, it will be interesting to watch what kind of developments and possibilities ensue.

-- Suara Karya, Jakarta