I do not represent people's power movement: Gus Dur

JAKARTA (JP): Abdurrahman Wahid, the chairman of the 30- million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem organization, dismissed speculation Monday that he was becoming a symbol of "people power" in the country.

"I'm not a representation of the people's power movement," he told media after the signing of a memorandum of understanding on technical assistance between the Bogor Institute of Agriculture and NU's Agricultural Development Institute (LP2NU).

"That's just what many people say about me."

Abdurrahman, popularly known as Gus Dur, has often been described as one of the country's symbolic leaders for the pro- democratization movement.

He has also been clumped together with the chairman of the 28- million-strong Muhammadiyah Moslem organization, Amien Rais, and ousted leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) Megawati Soekarnoputri, for being at the vanguard in calls for reform.

Abdurrahman said the time was not ripe for a people's power movement here.

"I'm not even sure that we have such a movement in the country," he said. "No, not yet."

A researcher at the National Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Hermawan Sulistyo, said earlier this month he did not believe the country would see the emergence of a people's power movement.

He said the country had neither symbolic figureheads nor spiritual leaders who would enable its people to establish a people's power movement like the ones which occurred in the Philippines during the Marcos presidency and Iran under Shah Reza Pahlevi.

"We do not have symbolic figureheads or spiritual leaders, such as Cardinal Sin in the Philippines," he said.

He also said that a people's power movement would only be successful with the absence of anger dividing the people among themselves.

"I am not sure we'll see the emergence of a people's power (movement) here because our people are full of anger due to the wide economic gap," Hermawan said.

Abdurrahman conceded there was the possibility it could emerge here someday.

"Should a people's power emerge, then it must come from the people themselves," he said.

Abdurrahman, who had not spoken to the press for months following a stroke that led to his hospitalization and a lengthy convalescence, also commented Monday about the escalation of student demonstrations for reforms in many cities. He said students should remain true to the original mission of their movement.

"The students' struggle for reforms is always important," he said. "Yet, they should be able to maintain the spirit of their actions, namely that all is purely for the benefit of all people."

Soleh Sholahuddin, the rector of the Bogor Institute of Agriculture which has been the venue of several major student demonstrations in the past two months, concurred.

He warned students to be wary of attempts by "third parties" to infiltrate their movement. He said he was confident that so far the students' actions had been in line with the Constitution.

He urged members of the House of Representatives (DPR) to positively respond to the students' efforts.

"I believe the students' demonstrations will decline as soon as their aspirations are positively responded to," he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Home Affairs R. Hartono said Monday he had yet to see students come up with concrete concepts for reform.

"How can we respond to their aspirations for reforms if their concepts are unreal?" he asked.

He added that if the government said it was committed to reform, the statement should not be misconstrued of giving in to the students' demands.

"The government has always had its commitment for reform ... and we will receive any (relevant) suggestions from any parties, including students," he said. (imn)