Gus Dur urged to let Megawati take lead

JAKARTA (JP): A younger brother of President Abdurrahman Wahid suggests the incumbent president to step aside and let Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri take the lead.

Speaking to The Jakarta Post on Sunday, Salahuddin Wahid said the compromise between the two national leaders will be the best way to deal with the worsening condition in the country.

"I think the idea is good. In such a heated political climate, one must give way and compromise. At least the Vice President should be given broader authority," Salahuddin, also deputy chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muslim organization, said in a telephone interview.

However, Salahuddin stressed that the decision to delegate the authority to the Vice President should be constitutional and come from both Abdurrahman and Megawati.

"If necessary the next annual session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) could issue a decision for the delegation of power," he said.

Calls for Megawati to take over the presidency have mounted in the past days after the House issued a memorandum against Abdurrahman over his alleged involvement in the misuse of Rp 35 billion (US$3.6 million) in funds of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) and the $2 million donation from the Sultan of Brunei.

The Supreme Advisory Council (DPA) proposed last week that the President give full authority to Megawati to lead the administration, while Abdurrahman remain as the head of state.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) has earlier suggested Abdurrahman take a "sabbatical leave" for a "long or short" period of time and let Megawati, who is also the party's chairperson, perform the daily presidential duties.

Chairman of Golkar Party faction at the House of Representatives Syamsul Muarif echoed Salahuddin, saying that due to health reasons, Abdurrahman should delegate his authority to the Vice President.

"The mechanism for the delegation of power should go through an MPR session," Syamsul told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

He suggested that it will be more respectable for Abdurrahman to take the position of senior minister, just like former Singapore premier Lee Kuan Yew.

Salahuddin further purposed that the government should have opposition parties within the cabinet to create a more effective cabinet.

"We can put Golkar Party or the loose-coalition of the Axis Force as opposition parties," he cited.

Secretary-general of the National Awakening Party (PKB) Muhaimin Iskandar, however, said that the idea to divide the role of the Head of State and the Head of Government is difficult to implement as the country adopts the Presidential Cabinet system.

"Separating both roles is against the Constitution," Muhaimin said adding, however, that PKB, substantially, did not reject the idea since it has already been stipulated on the Presidential Decree No. 151/2000.

"What we have to do right now is just to make it more effective," Muhaimin said when contacted by The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

The Presidential Decree stipulates that Megawati is responsible for the day-to-day management of the government.

"But I can accept the idea as one among alternatives to maintain the government," Muhaimin said while mentioning a Cabinet reshuffle as the other alternative.

In the new cabinet lineup, Muhaimin suggested that Gus Dur, as the President is known, accommodate the main party, -- the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), to hold a strategic posts in the cabinet such as economic and political affairs.

In Padang, the capital of West Sumatra, Megawati called on the political elite to pull together and form a strong base for the country's future.

She cited an example of how both founding fathers -- her father Sukarno and his close comrade Mohammad Hatta -- were once "separated" but "they still maintained a warm relationship".

"I knew for a fact that the two were still engaged in warm discussion although they had a different perspective," Megawati told a session with Cooperative Board in Bukittinggi on Saturday.

She also expressed her concern that the country was falling apart.

"I admit that our country is in a worst state compared to the previous period. It's due to rampant political conflicts that all of this has happened and there is not enough effort to remedy it ... Don't even talk about discussion as it is hard for the members of the political elite to even meet with each other," Megawati said.

"I'm also amazed that there are certain parties who still wish to break Indonesia apart," she added.

In Semarang, capital of Central Java, noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid said that Indonesia "has yet to have any respectable president".

"I think (former president) Habibie is quite fair since he dared to resign in a 'dignified way'. Now I don't know if our current President is pushing for his ego or fighting for the peoples' interests," Nurcholish said at the Keraton Kasunanan Surakarta on Saturday.

Meanwhile, political observer and criminologist Mulyana W. Kusumah and former justice minister Muladi said the Assembly "cannot just easily push for a Special Session".

"Holding a special MPR session is far too complicated and risky," Mulyana said.

Muladi, however, said that holding an MPR special session is "outrageous and out of place".

"I don't like to see this country suffer even more. So, MPR should not make maneuvers that will only burden the people," Muladi said.

"One thing is for sure. Gus Dur cannot play around for the next three months as the memorandum is meant as an expensive political lesson for him. He has to make full effort to improve his performance," Muladi added. (02/28/dja/edt/har)