Gus Dur discounts role of daughters over his actions
Gus Dur discounts role of daughters over his actions
YOGYAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid dismissed
accusations on Friday his daughters had an overpowering
influence over his actions, including his recent claim of a
clandestine meeting of military generals in Jakarta.
The President also denied his second daughter, "Yenny" Zannuba
Arifah, had told him about the alleged meeting on Jl. Lautze
earlier this month.
Abdurrahman, however, fell short of disclosing from where he
had received the information, which caused a public uproar and
increased speculation of a military coup when the President went
public with the allegation.
The Indonesian Military denied the meeting took place, and the
episode left many people wondering from where the President was
receiving his information.
Some parties have speculated about the presence of
"whisperers", who feed the head of state misleading information.
A number of legislators from the House of Representatives on
Thursday accused Yenny, a former journalist, of giving
Abdurrahman the information about the alleged meeting.
The President said his daughters only read letters and
documents he had to sign.
"I have asked them (my daughters) to read to me because I
can't do it myself. They don't whisper things to me," said the
President during a gathering in Yogyakarta after Friday prayers
at the Grand Mosque.
Critics believe the President's numerous controversial
statements and policies are the result of information supplied by
these so-called whisperers.
Besides Abdurrahman's daughter, speculation also centers on
the President's close aides, including Military Secretary Air
Rear Marshall Budhy Santoso, Cabinet Secretary Marsilam
Simanjuntak, Secretary of Government Supervision and State
Secretary Bondan Gunawan and Presidential Secretary Ratih
Hardjono.
The House of Representatives summoned the four secretaries on
Thursday to question them about their roles in the Presidential
Palace.
All four said the President, because of his openness, received
information from numerous people, and that none of the
secretaries had any control over what he said because the
President always spoke without a prepared text. (swa)