Habibie 'should not join dialog'
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Justice Muladi supported on Monday President B.J. Habibie's refusal to meet with his onetime mentor, Soeharto, for the so-called national dialog.
"Pak Habibie should not join the dialog because if he does, people will say that he is still under the influence of Soeharto," Muladi said here after attending a Cabinet meeting on political and security affairs.
Muslim leader Abdurrahman Wahid said after meeting Soeharto on Saturday that the former strongman, Habibie, Armed Forces (ABRI) chief Gen. Wiranto and himself should meet for a dialog in the drive toward fostering national reconciliation.
Muladi said an official meeting between Soeharto and Habibie would not be "politically" favorable for Habibie.
The minister, however, said he did not see any problem if Habibie meets Soeharto in his personal capacity.
"It would be all right if the two meet as old friends, asking each other of their personal wellbeing," Muladi said.
Meanwhile, Abdurrahman, who is also chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), has defended the planned meeting against mounting criticism, saying the veteran leader still had a strong influence on the nation's political life.
"Nahdlatul Ulama is not defending him but admitting that Soeharto has also contributed to the nation despite the mistakes that he made," said Abdurrahman, who is also known as Gus Dur, as quoted by Antara on Monday.
Many have questioned Abdurrahman's motives in the unprecedented meeting with Soeharto at the latter's residence on Jl. Cendana in Central Jakarta on Saturday.
Others have professed themselves perplexed over Abdurrahman's attempts to include Soeharto, the target of almost-daily student protests, in a national dialog to subdue the turbulence in Indonesia since the former president resigned under pressure in May after 32 years in power.
As part of a national reconciliation dialog, he has already met with the President, who represented the civilian bureaucracy, and Wiranto, who represented the military bureaucracy, Abdurrahman said.
Abdurrahman said on Sunday that Habibie did not reject a meeting with Soeharto but he only wanted to meet Soeharto as an individual.
He also said on Monday that his approaches to Soeharto should in no way affect the current probe into alleged corruption and abuse of power by the former president during his tenure.
Soeharto should still be brought to justice, he said, and his case dealt with according to the law.
Abdurrahman's critics have expressed fears his move may divert the focus of legal proceedings against Soeharto, and some have accused him of harboring political ambitions.
The Muslim leader has been at the forefront of efforts to establish a national reconciliation dialog to combat waves of rising violence in the country and try to ease the standoff between reformist students and the establishment, most of whom are old Soeharto appointees.
Several commentators have blamed some of the outbursts of violence in the country, including a wave of attacks on churches and mosques, on Soeharto loyalists working behind the scenes to try to distract the nation from the investigation into his wealth.
Meanwhile, former cabinet member Emil Salim said on Monday in Yogyakarta that Abdurrahman's meetings with Soeharto, Habibie and Wiranto in the past two weeks were efforts "to melt political rigidity".
"There are two main legacies of Soeharto, the state ideology (Pancasila) and ABRI's dual function, if these two are going to be eliminated, do you think that Soeharto would just sit back?" Yogyakarta leader Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X said separately on Monday in Yogyakarta.
Students and newly-established political parties have been protesting against the military's sociopolitical role and demanding that political parties be freed from the obligation to adhere to the state ideology Pancasila.
Under Soeharto-era laws, all political parties and mass organizations are obliged to pledge adherence to the state ideology Pancasila. (imn/44/swa/byg)