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