Gus Dur hints at giving support to defiant Megawati

Gus Dur hints at giving support to defiant Megawati

JAKARTA (JP): Abdurrahman Wahid, chief of the 30-million
strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), has pledged to help support Megawati
Soekarnoputri, the besieged chief of the Indonesian Democratic
Party (PDI).

Abdurrahman, who is known to be close to Megawati, said
yesterday he had half-opened his door to her in support of her
cause.

He said many NU activists were traditionally supporters of the
conservative Moslem-oriented United Development Party (PPP),
which is PDI's closest competitor.

"If I fully open my door (to Megawati), they (PPP members) may
chase and 'butcher' me," Abdurrahman told The Jakarta Post.

"You know the PPP is scared the PDI will outshine it in next
year's election, capturing its position as second fiddle after
Golkar (the ruling party)."

Abdurrahman, affectionally known as Gus Dur, was discussing
the leadership crisis now plaguing the PDI, an alliance of
nationalist and small Christian parties.

Megawati, a daughter of Indonesia's first president Sukarno,
has been claiming massive grassroots support since she was
toppled by her rivals in a government-backed congress last week.

Megawati, who was democratically elected in an extraordinary
congress in 1993, has received much popular support. She
adamantly claims to be the party's legitimate boss.

The government has shifted its recognition of PDI's leadership
from her to Soerjadi, who was elected in last week's rebel
congress. On Thursday, Director General for Sociopolitical
Affairs Sutoyo NK announced that the government would no longer
recognize Megawati's camp.

Supporters of Megawati have been pouring onto the streets to
voice their rejection of the rebel congress and to denounced the
government's support for Soerjadi.

Abdurrahman made headlines in local newspapers last week when
he appeared at the foreign correspondent club in Jakarta while
Megawati was giving a press conference. He said he had swung his
support behind Megawati.

He said yesterday the government wants to see Megawati toppled
because of a survey which indicated that her popularity could win
up to 40 percent of the vote in next year's general election.

Golkar would receive only 40 percent of the vote and the PPP
the remaining 20 percent, he said: "If the estimate is true,
Indonesia may have to change its whole (political) system."

The three political parties, PDI, PPP and Golkar, will contest
425 of the 500 seats in the House of Representatives next year.
Of the 400 seats contested in the last general election, Golkar
currently holds 282, the PPP holds 62 and the PDI holds 56.

From next year, the number of seats reserved for the Armed
Forces will be reduced from 100 to 75.

Abdurrahman said he believed the current wave of pro-Megawati
street demonstrations would not turn into a fully fledged people
power movement which could pose a threat to government.

"What we have seen over the past few days are harsh responses
from certain sectors of society. But the protests may snowball if
the military resorts to brutality," he warned.

According to Abdurrahman, the emergence of a power-to-the-
people movement could only occur if mass organizations united and
mobilized their members to revolt.

The NU, Indonesia's largest Moslem organization, has been
committed to its socio-educational mission and has avoided
straying into politics since 1984.

Its leadership, however, allows its members to engage in
political activities according to their own beliefs.

Abdurrahman, well-known for his controversial political and
religious views, said that the current political tension sparked
by the PDI coup has contributed positively to the growth of
democracy in Indonesia.

He said the bureaucracy's support for PDI rebels has put the
government on the defensive.

"Now young people stare at a nervous government. This is good
for democracy," said Abdurrahman, who also chairs Forum Demokrasi
(a democratic discussion group).

He said that not all government and military officials agree
with Soerjadi's appointment over Megawati.

The different stances are reflected in the way that security
officials handled pro-Megawati PDI activists in different places,
he said.

In Yogyakarta, for example, observers were dumbfounded when
demonstrators held an eight kilometer street march without the
usual backlash from security officers, he said. (pan)