Akbar concerned by spread of political conflicts

Akbar concerned by spread of political conflicts

JAKARTA (JP): House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung
joined on Thursday in voicing his concern about the possibility
of massive conflict between followers of the country's largest
Muslim organizations as a result of continuous bickering among
the political elite.

Speaking at an abruptly arranged media conference, Akbar
called on the public not to perceive the showdown between
President Abdurrahman Wahid and his critics as a dispute between
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah.

Akbar was responding to an attack on the office of the
Surabaya chapter of the Islamic Students' Association (HMI) by
people claiming to be supporters of Gus Dur, as the President is
widely known.

"It's nothing to do with NU and Muhammadiyah," Akbar, who is
also chairman of the Golkar Party and a former HMI chairman,
said.

He labeled the attackers immature for linking People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais with Muhammadiyah
which he formerly chaired. Abdurrahman led the NU for 15 years
before he was elected president in October last year.

"We should view the current political turmoil as personal
conflicts, so it should not involve supporters," Akbar remarked.

He reiterated that he had never asked Abdurrahman to step down
nor initiated a special session of the MPR to ask for
accountability from the President.

"It's Pak Amien who explicitly asked the President to resign.
But we perceive it only as a political discourse," he contended.
Amien is also a former HMI activist.

Akbar also regretted that certain government officials had
blamed politicians for creating tension and causing the rupiah to
plunge.

"We are just doing our duty of controlling the government. Do
not make us as the scapegoat for the weakening of the rupiah," he
remarked.

Akbar took the view that the current rallies against
Abdurrahman, including those staged by HMI activists, were
tolerable in a democratic state.

"It's normal for students. We even did more than that against
former President Sukarno in the past," Akbar remarked.

Sensing the seriousness of the acrimonious dispute at the
grassroots level, Abdurrahman called on the public on Wednesday
to remain calm and not react emotionally to the political
bickering.

But Abdurrahman's call seemed to go unheeded as NU East Java
chapter chairman Ali Maschan Moesa stated on Thursday that his
followers were still angry.

"It would be better for Pak Amien not to visit East Java if he
wants to avoid the anger of NU supporters," Ali told reporters
before meeting East Java's Governor Imam Utomo.

He said NU followers were outraged by the criticism laid
against Gus Dur, including physical insults directed against the
President.

He admitted that he could no longer mollify the anger of NU
followers, including the members of its youth wing, the Banser
civilian militia.

"NU followers can no longer accept the political maneuvers of
Pak Amien," Ali remarked.

Muhammadiyah's East Java chapter chief Abdurrahim Nur was of
the opinion that Ali's statement did not represent the
organization, but was instead only his personal view.

"We would be better off calming the people down, instead of
inflaming the masses," Abdurrahim told The Jakarta Post on
Thursday.

In Yogyakarta, political observer Ichlasul Amal also expressed
fears that the problems facing the state could be reduced to the
rift between NU and Muhammadiyah.

"Indonesia doesn't belong to either Muhammadiyah or Nahdlatul
Ulama (NU). Remember that," Amal, who is the rector of Gadjah
Mada University, said on Thursday.

One of the causes of the problem was the fact that Abdurrahman
had less than adequate resources to curb the escalating problems,
he added.

"Many have criticized the President. Therefore, no one can say
the problems faced by the state are merely the result of the
conflict between the President and Amien Rais," Amal said.

"I don't see any fierce rift between Amien and Gus Dur that
can justify the tension in the country.

"Gus Dur has his own way of leading the country. The situation
is now very difficult. The foreign debt issue is one of the
problems that are causing national anxiety. The national leader
does not concentrate on the economy, therefore political factors
will become the people's discourse."

Asked to give suggestions, Amal said that Gus Dur's leadership
style should be changed. "Gus Dur must talk more about the
substantial problem; economic recovery. There is no need to find
a fall guy. Just try to find a solution if the talks focus on
Maluku or Aceh."

Another observer, Satjipto Rahardjo, said in Semarang, Central
Java, on Thursday that the nation should support Abdurrahman's
administration, which is dealing with huge challenges including
corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN), the threat of
disintegration and a crisis of confidence. (23/har/jun/nur/sur)