Gus Dur warns dissent affecting political elite
Gus Dur warns dissent affecting political elite
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Political analysts believe that progressive
elements in society may soon have the opportunity to augment
their role on the political stage as increasing dissension and
fragmentation afflicts the nation's political elite.
The chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem organization,
Abdurrahman Wahid, believes that dissension is splitting the
political elite.
"Such fragmentation is not impossible on the political stage
where things are motivated by personal interests," he said .
Speaking at a political seminar which lasted till the small
hours of Tuesday at the University of Gadjah Mada, Abdurrahman,
popularly called Gus Dur, said such clashes will come to the fore
more often as the country experiences more crises.
He points to a looming financial crisis as the spark which
could dilute cohesion even further among the various factions of
the elite.
Agreeing with Abdurrahman, political scientist Mohammad Hikam
went further, suggesting that such a situation might prove
advantageous to those pro-democratic elements in society who are
at present only allowed to play a marginal role on the political
stage.
Hikam said those who could benefit from the fragmentation of
the elite include the two opposition parties, the Indonesian
Democratic Party and the United Development Party, the Indonesian
Legal Aid Foundation, the National Human Rights Commission, and
the NU itself.
Other potential elements noted by the researcher from the
Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) is the newly-launched
Independent Election Monitoring Committee, and the unrecognized
Solidarity Labor Union, along with other intellectual and student
groups.
Hikam said that despite being very reluctant, the state is
forced to accept the fact that it has to give more room to these
societal groups.
However on the other side Hikam also lamented the absence of
unity among these groups which are thus still very far from
becoming a force which can radically oppose the authority of the
state.
He added there was still no common platform for these
democratic elements to work together and said there was also a
lack of leadership in civil society.
Speaking on the existence of intellectual groups, Abdurrahman
warned that many scholars are being employed as mere legitimizers
of the status quo.
He described these intellectuals as "artisans" whose
reputation and education were being prostituted to provide
conceptualizations to justify a specific means.
While refusing to name any, Abdurrahman warned against these
"artisan" intellectuals whose "made-to-order" theories were
clogging up the national political debate.
"These intellectuals are experiencing their heyday. They're
getting orders left and right," he said adding that their purpose
was merely to either justify a status quo or attack someone
else's opponent. (har/mds)