Gus Dur tells NU not to back Megawati
JAKARTA (JP): Abdurrahman Wahid says he has prohibited leaders and members of his 30 million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama from supporting presidential candidate Megawati Soekarnoputri of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).
"All functionaries and supporters of NU must abide by my prohibition," Abdurrahman told a meeting on Monday with leaders of Muslim-based political parties including Amien Rais of National Mandate Party (PAN), Yusril Ihza Mahendra of Crescent and Star Party (PBB), Nur Mahmudi Ismail of Justice Party, Muhaimin Iskandar of National Awakening Party (PKB), Zarkasih Nur and Faisal Baasir of United Development Party (PPP).
Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, also reaffirmed his willingness to be nominated president by the political parties grouped in the new political alliance known as the "axis force."
Amien Rais initiated the force in a bid to offset the growing political tensions resulting from stiff competition between Megawati, whose PDI Perjuangan won the June 7 poll with 33.7 percent of the votes, and Golkar's presidential candidate incumbent B.J. Habibie.
Abdurrahman founded the PKB, whose chairman Matori Abdul Djalil supported a Megawati presidency as there was the possibility of him becoming vice president.
Separately, Antara quoted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid as saying that if serious, Abdurrahman's willingness would strengthen the axis force. "Though I don't really know, because there are some internal problems in the PKB as Matori supports Megawati," said Nurcholish following a ceremony to install him as chief researcher of humanitarian studies at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).
"If Gus Dur is not just joking, the way he usually does, then this willingness can generate a great support for himself," Nurcholish.
Amien also expressed his confidence that his alliance was gaining strength, especially in the face of "money politics" allegations involving both PDI Perjuangan and the ruling Golkar Party.
The media has been running stories of the alleged involvement of Golkar leaders, including Habibie, in the Bank Bali interbank debt scandal, as well as allegations that PDI Perjuangan had received a poll donation of Rp 500 billion from Lippo Bank, which is far above the permitted amount of Rp 150 million from companies.
Forum Keadilan in its latest edition explored the issue of money politics, citing details of the personal assets of individual presidential candidates. Matori, for instance, reportedly has four plots of land in two villages in Semarang, and two cars: a 1993 Honda Civic and a 1998 Opel Blazer.
Amien Rais, a professor on leave from the Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, has a plot of land on which his house and a kindergarten stand, plus three cars from 1995, 1994 and 1997 make.
Akbar Tandjung, the chairman of Golkar, has two houses in Bogor and in Jakarta, four cars, shares in a company, and a deposit of Rp 1.5 billion.
Megawati reportedly has eight houses including her mansion in South Jakarta's Pasar Minggu district and five others in Tebet Timur, also in South Jakarta. She and her husband Taufik Kiemas also own six gas stations, three sedans and three Kijang vans. Their employees use 20 motorcycles and 20 cars.
Forum, quoting unknown sources, blamed the recent outburst of revelations of possible money politics practices on competition between the Indonesian Military's Strategic Intelligence Body (Bais) and State Intelligence Coordination Body (BAKIN).
Benazir
Meanwhile, Megawati got a boost from her personal acquaintance Benazir Bhutto. The former prime minister of Pakistan and current leader of the Pakistan's People Party wrote in Far Eastern Economic Review that: "It would be, quite simply, wrong for reactionary forces to focus on gender and deny Indonesians a popular, competent and deserving leader.
"And if the international community allows this to happen through silence, it would be, more simply, tragic," she said in a piece titled "Let Megawati Lead."
She wrote that despite winning the popular mandate, Megawati's claim to the presidency is being seriously threatened by outdated views of Islam, outdated views of gender and by fear of democracy itself."
Indonesian ulemas, including those grouped in Nahdlatul Ulama, have opposed Megawati's presidency on the grounds of both her gender and perceived incompetence.
Observers speculated that if Abdurrahman Wahid reversed his support for Megawati, ulemas in both NU and other organizations would come out in greater force in their opposition to the eldest daughter of founding president Sukarno. (swe/06)