Gus Dur should step down

I have read Prof. Daniel S. Lev's article, Abdurrahman Wahid, don't step down, published in Kompas on Feb. 3, 2001 but cannot agree with his argument. In my opinion President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid must immediately step down to avoid the present circumstances from worsening because he has failed to lead this country and has, consequently, lost most of his legitimacy as President.

The special committee of the House of Representatives set up to conduct inquiries about Buloggate and Bruneigate has come up with the finding that Gus Dur is strongly suspected of being involved in the financial scandal and that he has lied to the public in the case of Bruneigate. The result of this special committee has been accepted by the House by the majority of its members in a voting and the House will shortly send a memorandum to the President.

Lev wrote that if the President steps down and is replaced by Vice President Megawati, her administration will be undermined by the National Awakening Party (PKB), which will seek revenge. Lev added, "If Gus Dur steps down, it means that he loses in the struggle to marginalize (the political role of the military)". In his opinion, if Megawati becomes Indonesia's president, the military will again play an important role because Megawati likes the military. Lev then asked, "If the military plays an important role again, who will be disadvantaged?"

Considering the result of the voting on the outcome of the special committee's work, I don't think the PKB will successfully undermine Megawati (if Lev's assumption is correct). Moreover I believe the PKB will still hold on to its idealism and will never resort to destructive acts. It surprises me that Lev thinks so little of the military. His generalization is biased. In my opinion, not everybody in the military is contemptible in terms of their political attitude, behavior and character. General Wiranto, for example, voluntarily withdrew from the presidential race after the last general election to give way to Gus Dur. Many other military figures are like general Wiranto and it is irrelevant to mention their names here. I don't think Lev is entirely right in his statement that Gus Dur is meritorious in marginalizing the Military in the political arena. Gus Dur came forward at the right time when the Military, seriously criticized by the community, began to reduce their political role. The House has reduced the number of seats allotted to the Military and the Police and in future there will not be a special faction in the House. It is now time, I believe, for us all, laymen and experts alike, to stop denouncing the Military. We must view a problem in a balanced way.

About Lev's comment that the finding of the House's special committee and the memorandum will be no problem to Gus Dur; in my opinion Lev has belittled the work of the House. Obviously, Lev is very inaccurate in this evaluation. The House has decided that the President should be suspected of involvement in Buloggate, a criminal case punishable with imprisonment. This is not simply a political matter as Daniel thinks. When the House, which represents the entire people, suspects that the President is involved in Buloggate, it will be very difficult for the President to carry out his job as a president because his legitimacy has dwindled.

Lastly, Indonesia's economic crisis is the concern of the entire Indonesian people. It is also the concern of domestic and foreign investors, not only of American investors.

MUHD. RAMZY HASIBUAN

Jakarta