Gus Dur ready for presidential bid

Gus Dur ready for presidential bid

JAKARTA (JP): Abdurrahman Wahid, founder and presidential
elect of the National Awakening Party (PKB) said on Saturday he
was willing to be nominated by Islamic parties in the
presidential election.

"I am ready," he said at a seminar on the axis force at
Aryaduta Hotel in Central Jakarta.

Abdurrahman said, however, that he was still supporting
Megawati Soekarnoputri for president because her party, the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), was the
victor in the general election.

Megawati, along with incumbent President B.J. Habibie, is the
front-runner in the presidential race. However, Abdurrahman was
named the presidential candidate of the political grouping called
"the axis force".

The axis force groups a number of Islamic-based parties,
including the Crescent Star Party (PBB), the United Development
Party (PPP), the Nadhlatul Ummat Party (PNU) and the National
Mandate Party (PAN). Other Islamic-based parties, including the
Justice Party (PK), New Masyumi Party, Indonesian United Islamic
Party 1905 (PSSI-1905) and the Muslim Community Awakening Party
(PKU), have yet to announce whether they will join the axis
force.

This alternative political grouping, expected to control 168
seats in the next House of Representatives (DPR), has yet to
officially announce its presidential candidate, but PAN chairman
Amien Rais has nominated Abdurrahman Wahid.

The Gadjah Mada University lecturer on government studies, M.
Mahfud, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that Abdurrahman's
willingness to be named president would render the axis force "a
very decisive power" in the next presidential race.

His willingness, Mahfud said, would attract more support from
PKB toward the axis force, although PKB chairman Mathori Abdul
Jalil said that he supported PDI Perjuangan.

Mahfud added that Habibie "is still an unpopular candidate
within the axis force because he is identical to the regime which
was bogged down with corruption, while Megawati is not too
popular among the Muslim-oriented parties in that force."

Hence Abdurrahman was the best choice, he said.

The alternative force, Mahfud said, was still "solid and
consistent" with its political agenda, and it also had the
potential support of Golkar members and those who would sit in
the interest group and regional group factions.

Members of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) seeking to
avoid a conflict "will be more likely to support the candidate of
the alternative force if a discreet one man, one vote system is
adopted," Mahfud said. He referred to the impression among many
that Abdurrahman was "a moderate and accommodative figure".

Abdurrahman's chance would be even larger if Golkar maintained
Habibie as its sole candidate, Mahfud said.

In Pekanbaru, Riau on Saturday, Yusril Ihza Mahendra of the
Crescent Star Party also said the alternative force would play a
decisive role in the next presidential election. He was also
confident that the force's presidential candidate would beat
those of PDI Perjuangan and Golkar.

Islam

Meanwhile, Megawati has said that she wants the legislative
candidates from her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) to have a greater understanding of Islam, her aide
said.

Kwik Kian Gie, the head of the party's research and
development department, told Antara news agency on Saturday that
speculation about PDI Perjuangan disregarding Muslims by
selecting non-Muslims for 60 percent of its legislative
candidates was "blown out of proportion" five days before the
start of campaigning in May.

"Megawati wants her legislative candidates to be more
'Islamized' so they understand Islam better and are willing to
study the values of the religion," Kwik said in a discussion on
July 29.

"I am facing the same problem because I am actually a
Buddhist, but some leaflets in circulation say I am a Catholic,"
Kwik said. "I have been portrayed as a symbol of anti-Islam."

Provisional poll results have PDI Perjuangan winning 154 seats
in the 500-seat House of Representatives, followed with Golkar
Party with 120 and the United Development Party with 59.

Members of the Muslim community have protested Megawati's
selection of non-Muslim legislative candidates as a sign of her
disregard of the country's Muslim majority. Megawati's mentor,
Abdurrahman Wahid, called her selection of legislative candidates
a stupid mistake.

According to Antara, Kwik said some Muslim intellectuals,
including Said Aqiel Siradj and Mohammad Sobari, advised him to
ensure the party would fight for the interests of Muslims.

Kwik said the willingness to learn and understand the
interests of the country's Muslim majority was a prerequisite for
him as a politician. (rms/44/swe)