Experts defend President's call to revoke communism ban

Experts defend President's call to revoke communism ban

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Political observers have defended President
Abdurrahman Wahid's support for lifting the ban on communism,
saying that it does not violate the 1945 Constitution or People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) decrees.

Political observers Cornelis Lay of Gadjah Mada University and
Arbi Sanit of the University of Indonesia rebuked calls by
several minor Islamic parties, grouped under the 'axis force,'
which demanded an impeachment of the President.

"Disappointment is no reason to force a president to resign.
And I don't think Abdurrahman has violated his presidential
authority during his nine months in charge," Cornelis told The
Jakarta Post.

He said there was no doubt that there was severe
disappointment among politicians in the axis force, primarily
caused by Abdurrahman's support on a revocation of MPR Decree No.
25/1966, which banned communism.

However, he warned that the issue could be manipulated by the
disappointed political factions to undermine the President.

The axis force is a caucus of several Muslim parties and the
National Mandate Party (PAN), which pushed Abdurrahman's
candidacy in the presidential election in October.

Cornelis said the axis force's political move was further
evidence that they only half-heartedly supported Abdurrahman's
presidential election in the first place, due to acrimony of
Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"This is evidence that the axis force's support for
Abdurrahman was only based on its hatred for Megawati," he said,
referring to the Vice President who is also chairwoman of the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).

Cornelis pointed out that disappointment over Abdurrahman in
the ranks of the axis force had been boiling for some time as
many decisions taken by the government were perceived to be
against the loose political coalition.

He pointed to the departure of leading axis force figure and
United Development Party (PPP) chairman Hamzah Haz from the
Cabinet as one major turning point.

He claimed that the appointment of Marsilam Simanjuntak and
Bondan Winarno to the strategic posts of Cabinet secretary and
acting state secretary respectively was another blow.

The Crescent Star Party (PBB), a member of the axis force,
urged the Assembly on Friday to hold an emergency session to
demand the accountability and possible impeachment of Abdurrahman
due to his suggestion to lift the ban on communism.

Separately, political scientist Arbi Sanit also said there was
no reasonable basis to force the President to resign.

"Abdurrahman has not violated the Constitution nor MPR
decrees," he told reporters after a seminar at Yogyakarta
Muhammadiyah University on Saturday.

He cited evidence of this as that Abdurrahman had wide-ranging
support in the country.

"There is no political leader who has wider support than
Abdurrahman. Not even Megawati. Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) followers
would not let Abdurrahman be toppled," he added.

Meanwhile in Padang, West Sumatra, PBB chairman Yusril Ihza
Mahendra said his party would excise its support for the
President, who insists on revoking the ban on communism.

"The communism issue cannot be bargained. We can't compromise
on that," Yusril, who is also the law and legislation minister in
the Cabinet, said on Sunday.

However, Yusril was skeptical given the huge public protests
over the ban being lifted.

"I suspect that this will end up only as a mere suggestion,
like Abdurrahman's other ideas, which were then rejected by the
public. It (the idea) will be repealed," Yusril said. (44/jun)