Gus Dur briefs Muslim scholars on candidacy

Gus Dur briefs Muslim scholars on candidacy

JAKARTA (JP): Abdurrahman Wahid briefed 13 Muslim scholars
from Central and East Java on his presidential nomination on
Friday night, but there was no final decision on whether the
scholars would support his bid to the government's top post.

"They were glad to hear my explanations. But they decided to
withhold their decision until one day before the Oct. 20
presidential election," Abdurrahman said after the 90-minute
meeting, which was held just after his visit to East Java with
his presidential rival and close friend Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Abdurrahman, who is popularly known as Gus Dur, said the
scholars questioned the seriousness of the level of support from
the "axis force", a loose alliance of seven Muslim-oriented
parties.

Gus Dur has repeatedly said he would only run for the
presidency with the full consent of senior Muslim scholars from
Central and East Java.

Chairman of the Langitan Islamic boarding school KH Abdullah
Faqih, a leader whom Gus Dur regards as his guru, did not attend
the meeting.

Earlier on Friday in Jombang, East Java, Gus Dur said he would
join the presidential race only after meeting with Abdullah
Faqih.

"If I get the nod from Abdullah Faqih, I will go ahead," he
said.

Gus Dur and Megawati, the presidential candidate for the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) went to
East Java on Friday to pay homage beside their fathers' graves.

They arrived in Blitar before midday in a BMW car. First they
visited the grave of Megawati's father, Indonesia's founding
president Soekarno. After local religious leaders completed
prayers beside the grave, the entourage headed to Jombang, some
60 kilometers north of Blitar.

Gus Dur's father and grandfather are buried in Jombang. The
small city is also the birthplace of Indonesia's largest Muslim
organization, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). The organization has more
than 35 million followers and has been chaired by Gus Dur since
1984.

Gus Dur was nominated on Wednesday as a presidential candidate
by the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Justice Party (PK).

The two parties, which are members of the axis force, together
have 40 members in the 700-seat People's Consultative Assembly.

Gus Dur said in Jombang that he had accepted his presidential
nomination by the two parties to ensure that there would be at
least two contestants in the Oct. 20 presidential election.

"Within a normal democracy, there should be at least two
candidates in an election. If other candidates withdraw from the
race, then there will still be two contestants: me and Mega," he
was quoted by Antara as saying.

Asked about the possibility of a withdrawal of her good
friend's support, Megawati said she and Gus Dur had often
traveled together and discussed issues of importance to the
nation.

"What we both are striving for is not a matter of winning or
losing, but wholly in the best interest of the nation and the
state," Megawati said.

Political analysts, however, say Gus Dur's nomination will
complicate the presidential battle, which previously pit the
incumbent, B.J. Habibie of the Golkar Party, against Megawati.

Habibie all out

Habibie told a media conference on Friday evening that he was
highly optimistic of his chances for the presidency.

"I think I have the same chance as other candidates," he told
the special media meeting, which was broadcast live by state-
owned TVRI.

"I am not a coward. I will fight all out, but without using
money politics," he said in reply to rumors that he would attempt
to stay in power at all costs.

He recalled analysts' premature predictions of his early time
in the nation's top job, which became vacant after president
Soeharto stepped down in May 1998 under enormous pressure from
demonstrating students and a collapsing economy.

"They predicted that I would survive for only three days, then
for three months. But you see I am still here.

"Many have often criticized me for talking too much. But now I
must listen a lot," he said.

The President dominated the media session. His drawn-out
responses, which detailed his administration's achievements,
permitted only about five reporters to raise questions during the
90-minute conference.

Habibie said he was confident the Golkar party would not
review his candidacy at its leadership meeting early next week.

"I don't think they would change their candidate only a few
days before the race. That would be disadvantageous to Golkar,"
he said.

In a related development, the chairman of the National
Awakening Party (PKB), Matori Abdul Djalil, reaffirmed on Friday
his party's full support for Megawati's presidential bid.

Matori was commenting on PKB deputy chairman Alwi Shihab's
remarks on Thursday that the party was throwing its support
behind Gus Dur's candidacy.

"The support expressed by Alwi Shihab and friends was only
meant to show their appreciation in response to Gus Dur's
nomination," Matori said.

"As the leader of the party, I say that PKB is still committed
to its candidate, as decided in the senior official meeting."
That candidate was Megawati, he added.

Matori proposed Golkar's Akbar Tanjung as the Megawati's
running mate in the presidential battle, saying that both command
domestic and international respect.

"The Mega-Akbar partnership in the top leadership posts is the
most ideal team to lead the nation out of its present crisis," he
said.

Golkar chairman Akbar Tanjung, who was recently nominated as
the House of Representatives (DPR) speaker, said that Gus Dur's
nomination by some members of the axis force would make the
presidential race tougher.

"The presidential battle is certainly set to become much
keener, because the central axis alliance, with support from
several other factions, could command almost 200 members in the
700-seat assembly.

"But the situation is still in such a state of flux that
things could change by the hour," Akbar said.

Commenting on Megawati and Gus Dur's joint homage to East
Java, Akbar said he hoped they had been able to forge an
agreement in regard to the MPR General Session, especially the
presidential election.

Meanwhile, some 11 youth groups affiliated with the NU and
Muhammadiyah organizations, urged the Reform faction at the MPR
to uphold Gus Dur's presidential nomination.

Speaking at a joint conference held on Friday, the youth
groups' leaders also declared their support for Gus Dur in the
presidential race, saying that the NU leader was considered the
"best choice" among the existing candidates.

"Gus Dur is accepted by all elements of the society and he can
work together with all parties," Nadjamuddin Ramly of the Pemuda
Muhammadiyah said. (emf/vin)