Accepting Soeharto once again?

Accepting Soeharto once again?

The recent visit of Gus Dur (Nahdlatul Ulama chairman
Abdurrahman Wahid) to (former president) Soeharto has raised many
questions. It could be that such a move could help bring down the
heated political temperature. It could also be that Gus Dur is
seeing an invisible hand at play in the current political unrest.
It is possible that Gus Dur possesses relevant data concerning
the political disturbances. Even so, the standards he is using
are far from clear.

One could under the circumstances understand the prevailing
suspicions that Gus Dur is playing his cards to the advantage of
the political party he is promoting, the National Awakening Party
(PKB). This is all the more true since it is generally believed
that no single party will be able to win an absolute majority
vote in the next general election, which means that alliances and
coalitions will have to be formed.

However, giving Soeharto a role to play once again would sting
the feelings of the proreform groups. Quite understandably, they
would react strongly and reject such an approach by Gus Dur.
Aside from the fact that enough victims have fallen on the side
of the reformist camp, once again accepting Soeharto would only
demonstrate our own stupidity in repeating the same old mistake.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta