Habibie 'should not join dialog'
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)