Gus Dur deplores violent reaction to resignation calls

Gus Dur deplores violent reaction to resignation calls

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid on Friday blasted
the violent nature in which those who support him have reacted in
response to calls for his resignation.

The President appealed to his supporters to remain calm
despite the criticism against him.

Speaking after Friday prayers in Ciganjur, South Jakarta,
Abdurrahman called on his supporters to exercise restraint and
said that mounting criticism against the government was only
"part of democracy".

"Just because I am under attack, people in Pasuruan think that
they can stop cars, burn tires on the streets and occupy the HMI
(Islamic Students Association) office in Surabaya.

"And then you can still call yourself a Muslim after all these
acts... therefore I call on (my supporters) not to resort to
violence. Let them criticize me because that is actually part of
democracy," Abdurrahman said.

He also called on Muslim clerics "to stay out of politics".

"Politics is beyond the authority of our clerics... so they
should not bother thinking about politics," Gus Dur, as the
President is called, said.

Tension between Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), which was chaired by
Abdurrahman before last year's presidential election, and
Muhammadiyah, the second largest Muslim organization led by the
President's staunchest critic and People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR) chairman Amien Rais, heightened earlier this week when
thousands of Abdurrahman supporters threatened their rivals with
violence if Amien continued to seek to unseat the President in
mid-term.

Amien has been at the forefront of calls by some politicians
to demand Abdurrahman resignation because of alleged incompetence
and corruption.

Abdurrahman's critics claim he has failed to revive the
economy or tackle violent separatist conflicts.

Critics stepped up their attacks this week, accusing the
President of corruption and demanding a special Assembly session
to oust him.

However Abdurrahman again dared lawmakers on Friday to vote on
whether to call a special session if they thought he committed
impeachable offenses.

"If what they (legislators) said is true, the DPR (House of
Representatives) can convene to vote on whether it is necessary
to hold a special session," Abdurrahman said.

"I have an obligation to serve the nation, not one or two
people," Abdurrahman said, referring to critics who have called
for his resignation.

He said the country had achieved significant progress under
his leadership.

He described his rejection of a clemency appeal by former
president Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo Mandala Putra over an
18-month jail verdict for corruption as one of his successes in
upholding the law.

Meanwhile, Muhammadiyah executive Djoko Susilo regretted the
"overreaction" on the part of Abdurrahman supporters in East Java
earlier this week.

He deplored that fact that an unnamed NU leader in East Java
had issued a statement that Amien had been "advised" against
traveling to the province, which is known as the stronghold of
Abdurrahman's supporters.

"We also condemn a decree issued by a certain people
stipulating that the spilling of Amien Rais' blood is just,"
Djoko told journalists.

"We appeal to all parties to exercise restraint and refrain
from making any statement that could provoke further tension," he
added.

In the West Sumatra capital of Padang, Muhammadiyah chairman
Syafii Maarif dismissed suggestions that there was a growing
conflict between his organization and NU.

"If between Amien Rais and Gus Dur there is an exchange of
verbal attacks, that should not be seen as conflict between
Muhammadiyah and NU but it is a dispute between individuals,"
Syafii said.

Later in the day here, chairman of the National Awakening
Party (PKB) Matori Abdul Djalil also called on the political
elite to refrain from making statements which could heighten
tension at the grassroots level.

Paramilitary

In Surabaya, East Java, tensions remained high as some 500
members of NU's security guards, Banser, began paramilitary-like
training on Friday in what they described as preparation to help
security officers deal with possible unrest.

Masduki Toha, chairman of Surabaya Banser said that the
training was part of the organization's program, "not because NU
members are threatened".

Masduki also said that the military training was not directly
linked to the possibility that Abdurrahman would be forced to
resign.

Abdurrahman chaired NU for 15 years, and most NU members,
including members of Banser, continue to be staunch supporters of
him.

"The training program is firstly aimed at creating cadres who
are ready to help the security officers in Surabaya. National
tasks will depend on orders from NU headquarters," said Masduki.

The three-day basic training was being held in Mojokerto, some
50 kilometers west of Surabaya.

"It is the second batch. The first batch also involved 500
personnel," he said.

He said that the instructors included members of Indonesian
Marines and kyais (Muslim clerics). He declined to reveal the
names of the instructors.

Before leaving for the training ground the Banser members
demonstrated their skill in using swords and knives.
(nur/sur/28/45/byg/jun)