Gus Dur urged to let Megawati take lead

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)