'Gus Dur may say no, but we are going anyway'

'Gus Dur may say no, but we are going anyway'

SURABAYA (JP): Preparations are almost complete for the
thousands of members of Banser to throng to Jakarta in a show of
support for President Abdurrahman Wahid.

In the town of Pasuruan, a Banser stronghold, activists have
established a National Alert Command post. The post receives
public complaints regarding various conflicts among the political
elite.

The Banser members insist on coming to Jakarta even though
President Wahid had several times called on them not to do so.

An official at the East Java branch of the Nahdlatul Ulama
told The Jakarta Post: "Politics are never free from rhetorics.
Of course the President should make such statements. But we need
to see the facts out there."

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the
political conflicts will worsen in days to come. He added that
anti-Gus Dur campaigns are growing and had to be responded to.

"Many Banser members have actually been in Jakarta since the
end of the Lebaran festivities (last December). They are ready to
be mobilized anytime. It is true that some of them are here to
secure an event held by PMII (another youth wing of NU) in
Jakarta," he said.

President Wahid visited Surabaya last week where he received a
declaration of support from the leaders of the pesantren
(Islamic boarding schools) who had blessed his presidential
candidacy in 1999. This Sunday, Jan. 14, 2001, Abdurrahman is
again scheduled to visit East Java, this time, Probolinggo.
(Ainur R. Sophiaan)