If I were Gus Dur

Recently President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid said that if he were forced to resign, six provinces would proclaim their independence from the Republic of Indonesia.

It is indeed true that there are separatist tendencies in certain provinces, but a president should not capitalize on those destructive tendencies in order to cling to power. It reeks of blackmail.

As a national and spiritual leader he should instead advise the instigators of separatism not to proceed with their aspirations, even if he were not president any longer. It would be an unhealthy precedent for the integrity of Indonesia as a unitary state to depend on a certain person.

It is well known that Gus Dur is very stubborn in holding his position. He has stated several times that he will not surrender his presidency, which prompts me to question whether really he is a man of principle or just enjoying power. The answer to that question has already been given by Gus Dur himself.

He said not long ago that if he were humiliated in public he would fight to regain the presidency after being impeached, by campaigning right from the moment of his impeachment.

From that statement it is clear that egoistic factors and not national interests are the main motivation for his fight to remain in power, or, if he is impeached, to regain that power.

He should learn from Bung Karno and Pak Harto who gave up the presidency for the sake of preventing Indonesia from breaking apart.

BUSONO SUDARSO

Jakarta