Four prominent leaders unite to pressure Habibie govt
JAKARTA (JP): Students finally succeeded in bringing Indonesia's four top political leaders together to issue a united stance on President B.J. Habibie's administration and the Armed Forces' role in politics.
Abdurrahman Wahid of Nahdlatul Ulama, Amien Rais, a noted reform movement leader who now chairs the National Mandate Party (PAN), Megawati Soekarnoputri, who leads a popular faction of the splintered Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), and Yogyakarta monarch Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X agreed at a meeting held at Abdurrahman's residence that Habibie's term in office should end three months after the general election -- scheduled for next May.
"By the end of next year, Habibie should no longer be the president," said Amien, reading out the results of the 30-minute meeting which students had strived to organize since Friday.
The leaders supported growing public calls for the Armed Forces' sociopolitical role to end "within six years."
Abdurrahman said it would not be possible to bring the era of military involvement in politics to a close overnight.
"Nahdlatul Ulama respects the Armed Forces (ABRI) dual function, but the role is now an anachronism," he said.
Ill health prevented Nobel laureate and Dili Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo from attending. However, he sent a letter stating that he supported the establishment of "a transitional government; a fair, honest and democratic election; and the reduction of the Armed Forces' dual role in all areas, especially in the House of Representatives."
The "national dialog" was a much-anticipated affair, given the high profile and political clout of the participants. Hundreds of students camped outside the residence to make sure that it took place.
Three student leaders -- Sarbini from the Communication Forum of Jakarta Student Bodies, Widi Aswindi from Bandung Institute of Technology and Nugraha from Siliwangi University -- attended the closed session.
A number of public figures were barred from the meeting. Among those were Kemal Idris and Ali Sadikin from the National Front opposition group, businessmen Setiawan Djodi and Arifin Panigoro, politicians Matori Abdul Djalil and Laksamana Sukardi, scholar A.S. Hikam and Rachmat Witoelar from the Movement for Indonesian Justice and Unity.
The meeting issued a five-point declaration and eight calls to the government.
The declaration stated that Indonesians should love and fight for their country, be ready to give their best and to ask forgiveness for any wrongdoing committed.
The four leaders called for national unity consistent and demanded the return of the people's sovereignty by maximizing the role and function of elected representatives.
The leaders said if the campaign to achieve a just and prosperous society was to succeed, steps toward decentralization of power, a more just distribution of resources between regions and greater democracy must first be brought about.
They called for a fair and just general election monitored by an independent team to be held next year.
They said the fight against corruption, collusion and nepotism must be intensified, with Amien at this point adding that the drive should begin with an investigation into the wealth of former president Soeharto, his family and his cronies.
They called on groups of vigilantes recruited to "secure" the Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly to go home without causing any more trouble.
The students said the campaign to bring the four leaders together stemmed from their worries over the rising tension that has marked the run-up to the Special Session of the Assembly. (01/ylt)