Gus Dur plans to meet with Soeharto again

JAKARTA (JP): Muslim leader Abdurrahman Wahid revealed on Monday his plan to again meet with former president Soeharto to discuss current developments affecting the country.

In a meeting with his one-time political foe Eggy Sudjana, who chairs the Muslim Workers Solidarity Union, at his residence in Ciganjur, South Jakarta, Abdurrahman also said he wanted to meet later with President B.J. Habibie.

"I will do so soon... as the political situation keeps on changing," he told reporters after the meeting.

If Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, met Soeharto, it would be his third meeting in three months. The chairman of the 30 million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) first met with Soeharto at the latter's residence on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta on Dec. 19 last year to push forward his campaign for national reconciliation.

The second time was on Jan. 26 this year when Abdurrahman again visited Soeharto at Cendana for a belated Idul Fitri get- together.

At that time, Abdurrahman said he had also conveyed to Soeharto a special message from Minister of Defense/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto requesting the former president to use his power to stop the unrest created by his followers.

"I am also looking forward to meeting Habibie as I have to submit to him the Open House results," he added, referring to the two-week session at his residence during the fasting month of Ramadhan.

Abdurrahman on Monday called for a united campaign for a fair and open election given the plentiful possibilities of unrest which he said could be engineered by parties who opposed the results of the Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to be continued.

"The three biggest political elements here have vowed to support the June election: the bureaucracy and military, political parties and mass organizations.

"But it is likely that riots and unrest in general would continue as there are groups... opponents who will continue their agenda," Abdurrahman noted.

During the session, Eggy asked Abdurrahman why the latter tended to side with the non-Muslim minorities.

"It's not like that," Abdurrahman said, "You have to remember that the minorities here, either in religion or ethnic matters, are the ones who suffered from oppression."

"It is our duty as Muslims to protect them and minimize their pain," Abdurrahman reiterated.

The solidarity union and Nahdlatul Ulama were expected to cooperate in certain grassroots projects, as the first organization is said to have 600,000 skilled members who would be able to help NU activists. (edt)