Gus Dur says he is in bind over presidential candidacy

SURABAYA (JP): Abdurrahman Wahid admits he is in a political bind. He still wants to be the next president, but he is also committed to an agreement made by his National Awakening Party (PKB) to support the presidential bid of Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Speaking here on Saturday, the chairman of Indonesia's largest Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) said he supported the moves of Amien Rais, who is also chairman of National Mandate Party (PAN), to nominate him for the next presidency. At the same time, he continued to be in agreement with PKB chairman Matori Abdul Djalil's support for a Megawati presidency.

Megawati is chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) which won the most votes in the June 7 general election.

Amien first announced his preference for Abdurrahman, also known as Gus Dur, over Megawati or incumbent B.J. Habibie, shortly after he initiated an alternative political alliance that he called the axis force which groups a number of Muslim-based political parties.

"I am saying the Axis Force is really serious, Amien's nomination of me is also a serious thing...I am not looking for a position, but I am being nominated. So I accepted and that's it," said Abdurrahman.

"I would not nominate myself because I still have my own candidate, namely Megawati," he said as quoted by Antara.

"That Matori also supports Megawati, that is his business. I only initiated PKB's formation but don't manage it. Still I agree with Matori about Megawati's nomination," he said on the sidelines of a seminar held by NU.

Commenting about Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Gen. Wiranto's chance at the presidency, Abdurrahman said he knew Wiranto well and believed the general was not an ambitious man. "He would be willing if he was nominated, but if he's not, he would not do a thing. I know him well," Abdurrahman said.

He said Wiranto and other military leaders such as Agum Gumelar, the governor of the National Resilience Institute, and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the TNI chief of territorial affairs, were men with "mature" ways of thinking.

Abdurrahman underlined the importance of Indonesian civilians in choosing and electing their own president and vice president in the coming general session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR). The military would take over the political stage if the civilians failed, he asserted.

Despite Amien's repeated support for an Abdurrahman presidency, the new political alliance has actually yet to name its presidential candidate. Some figures in the grouping, especially from the United Development Party (PPP), had instead expressed their support for Habibie.

Another figure in the axis force was Yusril Ihza Mahendra, the chairman of the Crescent and Star Party (PBB), who said in Surabaya on Saturday the alliance has not taken a clear political stance because Megawati had yet to approach it for support. Akbar Tandjung, the chairman of Golkar whose sole presidential candidate was Habibie, has established dialogs with representatives of the alliance.

"We are waiting for the opportunity to talk with both camps (those of Megawati and Habibie). We have had talks with Golkar, but not with Mbak (honorific) Mega," Yusril said after addressing a gathering of some 1,000 supporters of PBB at the Islamic Center here.

Yusril was of the opinion that the alliance should not actually name a presidential candidate because it would not then be a force in the middle. Rather, it would then become the third force.

"What's clear is that both PDI Perjuangan and Golkar must speak to us, because our group, which includes several Islamic political parties and PAN, commands 124 seats in the House of Representatives," Yusril said.

"If this alliance abstains, neither PDI Perjuangan nor Golkar would win the majority," he added.

He said the alliance was formed mainly to avoid a deadlock in the coming presidential election because both Megawati and Habibie's camps insisted on having their presidential candidate win.

When asked about the political trade off that the alliance expected should either Habibie or Megawati join forces with the grouping, Yusril said "there's only one wish."

"Sharing of power can be discussed later, but what's most important is whether PDI Perjuangan or Golkar, when they're in power later on, would have policies or concerns about Islam, for instance about religious education or Islamic laws," he said. (nur/swe)