Don't force Gus Dur to stay put

Don't force Gus Dur to stay put

From Rakyat Merdeka

How good would it be if the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) members,
especially the National Awakening Party (PKB), forced or allowed
President "Gus Dur" Wahid to resign, allowing the NU and PKB to
remain in the political forum. Resigning in a gentlemanly manner
is better than being "bruised". One step backward in exchange for
one thousand steps forward.

PKB is still a toddler, under five years old, compared with
its political opponents. Just spend three years to accrue power,
rather than resisting under condemnation.

Pak Matori, don't be like Harmoko, you will get sunk. Be loyal
to your party's motto: "Ever onward, striving for the correct
one". So, if Gus Dur is wrong don't defend him. Sorry, the public
has branded Gus Dur wrong in his attempts to administer the
state. If the steps are wrong, the results will also be
erroneous, and we will collapse.

To NU and PKB members, if you love and respect Gus Dur, don't
allow him or force him to stay put, don't get him more deeply
trapped in a worse situation. At present Gus Dur is still
rescuable, namely by placing him as a "Nation's Father"
(adviser).

If the People's Consultative Assembly don't know how to find
his successor, I have a suggestion: just leave it to the people
to directly elect their president. The presidential candidate
should be from the winning electoral contestants, except Golkar
(the New Order's ruling party) which has been labeled dirty.

The parties still considered clean are the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the United
Development Party (PPP). These two parties adequately represent
the nationalist and the religious people; their political
experience is moderately long.

In the year 2001 a direct presidential election should be
conducted by the people with Megawati and Hamzah Haz as
candidates. The winner will become president, and the loser vice
president.

Therefore, before the year 2001, Gus Dur, you should
graciously leave the presidential palace. Please have pity on NU
and PKB members and the Indonesian people. Don't let the people
suffer from grievances brought about by your arrogance or because
of the fact that people are taking advantages of your weaknesses.

SYARIF HIDAYAT

Kamasan, Banjaran