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)