Hardiyanti denies deflating PPP

Hardiyanti denies deflating PPP

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar deputy chairwoman Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana
has denied forming alliance with influential Moslem scholar
Abdurrahman Wahid to deflate the minority United Development
Party (PPP).

"I'm close to (Abdurrahman Wahid) because we're both Moslems
who are supposed to maintain good ties, and any Moslem would do
the same thing," she said.

A statement released by Hardiyanti, more commonly known as
Tutut, echoed comments Abdurrahman made Monday on whether he had
been waging a campaign against PPP by inviting Golkar leaders to
meet thousands of members of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem
organization which he chairs.

Hardiyanti delivered a speech in Pandeglang, West Java,
Tuesday at a ceremony marking the construction of a building for
another Moslem organization, Mathlaul Anwar.

"We shouldn't be making mountains out of this question,
because Golkar, PPP or PDI (the Indonesian Democratic Party) are
all national assets. We should remain united," Hardiyanti was
quoted by Antara as saying.

She insisted that she had no intention to undermine any
parties, and much less, in her position as deputy chairwoman of
Golkar, to hold premature campaign electioneering.

But she conceded that each of the three general election
contestants wished to seek public sympathy now that the May 29
polls are drawing near.

"It's normal that each of the contestants want to canvass as
many votes as possible. But the efforts to do so have to be
conducted within the proper context and should follow the rules
of the game," she said.

"Let the public themselves decide because I believe people's
political awareness has now reached a stage of maturity," she
added.

Abdurrahman, whose organization boasts 30 million followers
mostly in rural areas, had denied PPP chairman Ismail Hasan
Metareum's accusation that his newly-founded closeness with
Hardiyanti meant he was giving Golkar political aid to penetrate
the Moslem-based party's strongholds.

Ismail had expressed strong suspicion that Abdurrahman's close
relations with Hardiyanti were likely to reduce PPP votes in the
May 29 general elections, especially in the party's strongholds
in Java.

"Whether or not he realized it, Abdurrahman has deflated PPP
in its election preparations," Ismail said.

Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, escorted Tutut to a
meeting with members of the Nahdlatul Ulama Moslem organization.
Their appearances in public had triggered speculation of new
political alliances.

In the past two years, Abdurrahman was thought to have formed
a political entente with Megawati Soekarnoputri, the ousted chief
of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

Twist

The discussion on whether Abdurrahman and Hardiyanti wished to
deflate PPP took a strange twist after party secretary-general
Tosari Wijaya released a statement saying that he did not believe
it was so.

"I don't think that Gus Dur became close to Tutut because they
wanted to deflate PPP," he was quoted by Antara as saying Tuesday
in Medan.

"I am taking a different stance on this issue from (Ismail
Hasan Metareum). I'm not sure that NU members will automatically
vote for Golkar because of Gus Dur's activities, because the
nahdliyin (NU members) are already politically mature."

Tosari is a member of NU. "I find it difficult to just abandon
PPP," he said. (swe)