Gus Dur doubts Soeharto really wants a dialog

JAKARTA (JP): Following a controversy over a planned national dialog that would have included former president Soeharto, the man who initiated the plan said that he doubted Soeharto was serious about participating in the dialog.

Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muslim Organization Abdurrahman Wahid said on Friday, "I doubt that pak Harto really wants to meet with (President B.J.) Habibie. Let us hope he (Soeharto) was not talking nonsense," Abdurrahman, known as Gus Dur, told reporters in an "open house" session at his residence in Ciganjur, South Jakarta.

He was referring to his plan to hold a dialog involving Habibie, Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto, former president Soeharto and himself.

Habibie, in his capacity as President, had rejected the proposal, but did not dismiss the possibility of joining an informal dialog in his capacity as a citizen.

Abdurrahman, however, was optimistic that although the dialog might fail to materialize, his initiatives had nevertheless helped bring about a conducive climate toward national reconciliation.

"My separate meetings with Habibie, Wiranto and pak Harto have helped cool down the situation," he said.

"Hopefully, there won't be any bloodshed if the national dialog fails," he added.

Abdurrahman met with Soeharto and, separately, with former defense minister Gen. (ret) L.B. "Benny" Moerdani, who is still considered influential in politics, on Saturday.

Critics said that meeting Soeharto was against the tide of the reform movement, while supporters said it helped to make political communication less rigid.

"It's fine if the dialog can go on. If not, it's okay for me," Abdurrahman said on Friday.

Regarding the presence of Yorrys Raweyai, a leading figure of the Pemuda Pancasila youth organization, at Soeharto's house on Saturday, Abdurrahman said Soeharto may have "wanted to find out if I would flee after seeing Yorrys".

Pemuda Pancasila has been charged with using youths, including former hoodlums, for political ends.

"But, I did not flee because pak Harto was more important for me than Yorrys," Abdurrahman added.

He further charged that one of the critics of the meeting, a representative of the Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI), felt threatened that the dialog might have positive results.

"If the dialog went on, ICMI's political control would be shared with other elements of the nation," he said.

ICMI was set up by Habibie, and a number of presidential advisers and ministers are from the organization.

ICMI's executive chairman Achmad Tirtosudiro had said that if Habibie met Soeharto in his capacity as President, he would be considered to be under Soeharto's influence. However, if he refused to meet Soeharto he would be considered undemocratic.

Renown scholar Nurcholish Madjid said on Friday that if the planned dialog involving the four figures failed, other leaders should not stop attempts to hold a national dialog.

"The Abdurrahman-initiated dialog should be considered as a pioneering work," he said.

Nurcholish suggested officials like the governor of the National Resilience Institute, Lt. Gen. Agum Gumelar, as credible organizers of such an event.

Agum had earlier suggested a national dialog, which Habibie turned down, saying it would be difficult to gather leaders who were representative of all Indonesians.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for Habibie, Dewi Fortuna Anwar, also an executive of ICMI, said it would be "awkward" to include a person involved in legal prosecution in a national dialog.

"Soeharto is a problem, not a solution," she said on the sidelines of a discussion on national leadership.

On Wednesday, Attorney General A.M. Ghalib said Soeharto could be named a suspect in investigations regarding his wealth.

Charging "certain groups" with competing for political influence, she said that the national dialog should be held between the government and the people, including students.

She suggested that the government and the people should share a common perception on politics.

Now, she said, the government considers critics as organizing a revolution, "while the people think that the government wants to maintain the status quo".

In a meeting with former student activist Herry Akhmadi, Abdurrahman said it would be unrealistic to hope the government was serious about bringing Soeharto to trial.

Officials would just "protect and save him," he said.

He said that the government prosecutors investigating Soeharto's alleged corruption, collusion and nepotism were all nonsense (gombal).

"They all took bribes from Soeharto," he claimed.

"Habibie also took a lot of money from Soeharto," he added without elaboration. (imn/aan/43)