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)