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)