Huge rally wants Gus Dur to resign

JAKARTA (JP): Around 3,000 students and youths staged an antigovernment demonstration at the gates of the House complex on Wednesday, demanding President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid step down for his alleged involvement in two financial scandals.

The demonstrators, who thronged the compound's gate from early morning, were unable to reach the House building because of the tight security provided by more than 1,000 riot police. Security personnel thoroughly examined all vehicles entering the House complex.

Traffic was detoured as main access roads to the House were occupied by demonstrators and hundreds of buses.

Several groups of demonstrators staged a free speech forum, attacking the President for his failure to implement reforms and combat corruption.

"The President must step down because he failed to combat corrupt, collusive and nepotistic practices and is involved in the Buloggate and Bruneigate," said Ardiyanto, a member of the executive board of the student organization of the University of Indonesia.

The House of Representatives is investigating Abdurrahman's involvement in the alleged misuse of Rp 35 billion belonging to a foundation established by State Logistics Agency (Bulog) and his acceptance outside government channels of US$2 million financial aid from the Sultan of Brunei.

Elsewhere in East Java, thousands from Nahdlatul Ulama Muslim organization held simultaneous rallies in support of Abdurrahman at 37 regency legislative councils across the province. The province is the stronghold of NU, which once was led by Abdurrahman.

The NU supporters pledged to keep Abdurrahman in office until his term ends in 2004.

In the provincial capital of Surabaya, demonstrators demanded the House disband the special committee investigating the Bulog and Brunei scandals and form another committee to probe the misuse of Central Bank liquidity support funds.

No incidents were reported in East Java.

Back in Jakarta, the protesters called on all students and the people to avoid anarchistic actions in expressing their aspirations.

"Help, please, don't use violence to fight for political aspirations. The reform must go smoothly and peacefully," said a demonstrator.

Hundreds of other demonstrators from the Anticorruption People's Forum (Fraksi) called on people and the House of Representatives to fight against corruption and uphold the law to salvage the reform movement.

They also urged the House's special committee investigating Buloggate and Bruneigate to be honest and fair in their investigations. They presented the committee's chairman, Bachtiar Chamsyah, with a monkey.

"The committee's image is no better than this monkey's if it attempts political deals with the President and his cronies while the investigation is underway," one of the students said as he gave the primate to Bachtiar.

Bachtiar, accompanied by his deputies, Alvin Lie and Julius Usman, promised to carry out the investigation in accordance with the existing procedures and work in a transparent and fair manner.

"Thanks for your moral support. We will be transparent and fair in our investigation. But, you should exercise patience until the special committee hands over its investigation results to the House's plenary session on January 29," he said.

Rejection

Bachtiar said the 50-member special committee had decided to reject the President's offer to question him at the presidential palace instead of fulfilling the House summons.

He described the summons as a golden opportunity for the President to clarify his involvement in the two scandals.

"Without any intention to threaten the President, we suggest he use the respectful forum. We will stick to our schedule to complete to the investigation on Jan. 29," he said.

State Secretary Djohan Effendy sent a letter to the House on Tuesday to inform that the President would not go to the House building to give testimony before the special committee. He also said the President was ready to reply to written questions from the committee and meet with certain members of the committee.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said the House would write Abdurrahman, asking for a meeting between the President and the special committee to get his clarification about the two scandals.

"We will send a letter to the President to seek a meeting between him and the committee sometime in the immediate future," he said after a meeting with the special committee on Wednesday afternoon.

In response to the mounting criticisms against Abdurrahman, noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid regretted that the President did not feel guilty.

"The President does not feel guilty because he uses a paternalistic value judgment strongly adhered to in the largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama and no longer popular in the reform era," he said in a press gathering at the House later on Wednesday. (nur/edt/rms)