Don't follow Megawati, says Abdurrahman

JAKARTA (JP): Moslem leader Abdurrahman Wahid has called on members of the split Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) to disregard the stance of ousted chief Megawati Soekarnoputri to abstain from voting.

Abdurrahman, who leads the 30-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem organization and was once thought to have a political alliance with Megawati, said Megawati's decision was a personal one and no one should follow it.

"I am calling on the cadres, members or supporters of PDI to exercise their political rights on May 29 and disregard the political stance of Mbak Mega, because the decision of the daughter of (the late president) Sukarno is personal in nature," Abdurrahman was quoted by Antara as saying in Tegal, Central Java yesterday.

Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, said that Megawati chose not to vote because she was dissatisfied with the political situation facing her. "Her stance is legitimate as long as it's personal in nature, and not a call for other people to do the same," he said.

Megawati declared on Thursday that she was returning her registration form and would abstain from voting. She also called on people to exercise their political rights in accordance with their conscience.

Abstaining from voting is legal under the Indonesian electoral law, but it is an offense to encourage others not to vote.

"If that's Megawati's political decision, then what I can do as a citizen is to call on PDI members and supporters not to follow in her footsteps," Abdurrahman said during a break at a local NU function.

Abdurrahman believed Megawati's decision would not affect the general election, and that none of the political contestants should worry about losing potential supporters.

Abdurrahman did not mention any contestants' names, but it was previously considered that the Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP) stood to gain from the conflict within PDI. A great number of PDI supporters had expressed an intention to vote for PPP in protest of Megawati's rival, government-backed PDI chairman Soerjadi, who ousted her in a rebel congress last year.

Comments

Abdurrahman was one of many to comment on Megawati's declaration. Another was Golkar leader Subiakto Tjakrawerdaya, who said after campaigning in Lampung that Megawati's stance would not adversely affect the general election.

"If she doesn't want to use her right, fine, but as a good citizen she should use it," Subiakto, who is also minister of cooperatives and small enterprises, was quoted by Antara as saying Thursday.

Political observer Afan Gaffar at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta said Megawati's decision would not benefit the PDI or the Indonesian people.

"At the moment, her stance won't have any adverse impact. In the future, however, there could be people outside of her circle taking her stance to abstain from voting," he said. "Her becoming golput (nonvoter) will go on record as part of Indonesian political history," he said.

He added that the government still considered nonvoters as irresponsible people. "She's a public figure, and her followers will no doubt want to imitate her. If would have been better had she decided to abstain from voting silently," Afan said.

Political observer Abdul Munir Mulkhan, also of Gadjah Mada University, agreed with Afan that Megawati's stance would not have much of a repercussion. "Had she announced it a long time ago, more people would have joined her camp," he said.

Criticism came from the rector of Diponegoro University in Semarang and campaigner for Golkar, Muladi, who said Megawati "should have been wiser".

"Her statement could have negative impacts, because it can serve as a disguised persuasion (for other people to abstain)," he said.

Another professor at Diponegoro University, Satjipto Rahardjo, said Megawati should have considered her great number of followers. "Her statement could be construed as a campaign for golput," he said.

"It's a political maneuver, and her supporters would surely be influenced," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

Secretary-general Buttu R. Hutapea of the rival PDI faction said "it's Megawati's right not to vote ... and her stance will not influence anything." (swe)