Gus Dur talks with Soeharto debated

Gus Dur talks with Soeharto debated

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie has hailed Saturday's
meeting between Muslim leader Abdurrahman Wahid and former
president Soeharto in the drive toward fostering national
reconciliation, but says he has no plans to meet his onetime
mentor.

"The step taken by Gus Dur (Abdurrahman) was good," Habibie
was quoted by Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung as saying
on Saturday evening following the Ramadhan evening prayer.

Akbar said Habibie acknowledged that Abdurrahman's campaign to
hold a national dialog for reconciliation -- which included his
recent meetings with the President and Armed Forces (ABRI)
Commander Gen. Wiranto -- was a good step to resolve various
national problems.

However, Antara reported that Akbar said Habibie did not plan
to meet with Soeharto because the President still had to fulfill
the tasks mandated by the People's Consultative Assembly.

In its Special Session last month, the Assembly decreed that
Habibie's administration should campaign for clean governance,
including through investigating alleged corruption by Soeharto,
his family and cronies.

Separately in Surabaya, politician Amien Rais warned that
Abdurrahman's meeting with Soeharto should not divert the focus
of legal proceedings involving the latter.

"Investigations (into Soeharto's alleged corruption and abuse
of power) must continue clearly, it must not be tainted," said
Amien on Saturday when journalists pressed him for comment.

Abdurrahman met with Soeharto for an hour at the latter's
residence on Jl. Cendana in Central Jakarta. Abdurrahman, better
known as Gus Dur, said the former autocratic ruler had expressed
readiness to join a national dialog with Habibie, Wiranto and
himself.

Abdurrahman, who chairs Indonesia's largest Islamic
organization Nahdlatul Ulama, justified the plan for the four to
meet, saying Habibie represented the civilian bureaucracy,
Wiranto the military bureaucracy, while both Soeharto and he had
many followers.

Abdurrahman consulted former defense minister Gen. (ret) L.B.
"Benny" Moerdani on which community figures should be included in
the reconciliation dialog.

Amien responded curtly when asked if he wished to meet
Soeharto.

"Not one bit, until he repents.

"Why would I want to meet with Soeharto? If I met him, my
constituents would question my designs in doing so."

Maneuverings

Amien, who is former chairman of Muhammadiyah Islamic
organization, also warned of "political maneuverings which are
not transparent and chaotic".

"We should be careful and don't just rush in."

Amien initially tried to dodge questions, saying: "I don't
know the significance of that meeting. If you want to know what's
the meaning (of the meeting), then ask Gus Dur.

"I said, no comment!" he snapped. "Any citizen can meet with
other citizens in this country."

Amien Rais and Abdurrahman, along with Megawati Soekarnoputri
and Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono, were popularly dubbed the Ciganjur
group of reform leaders after they met in November at
Abdurrahman's residence in Ciganjur, South Jakarta. Recently,
however, Amien criticized Abdurrahman for going it alone in his
political maneuvers.

The acting chairman of the Association of Indonesian Muslim
Intellectuals (ICMI), Lt. Gen. (ret) Ahmad Tirtosudiro, also
questioned the suitability of the meeting.

Ahmad said in Jakarta he could not see the necessity of
including Soeharto in the dialog because he no longer held an
official government position.

Ahmad, also vice chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council
(DPA), disagreed with Abdurrahman's justification that Soeharto
retained influence and many followers.

"I don't understand why (Soeharto must be included)," Ahmad
said. "I don't think President Habibie needs any advice from the
former president."

Separately, political scientist Riswandha Imawan said in
Semarang he was unsure of the real reason for the meeting between
Abdurrahman and Soeharto.

Riswandha speculated it was probably because Abdurrahman, as a
Muslim cleric, believed he must treat all Muslims equally. "As a
national figure, he may have his own political agenda.

"But we do not need to instantly perceive (the meeting) as a
dirty trick, because there is also an intention to solve people's
conflict through peaceful means," said the Gajah Mada University
lecturer. (nur/har/prb/swe)