'I'm here till the end', says Abdurrahman Wahid

'I'm here till the end', says Abdurrahman Wahid

JAKARTA (JP): Embattled President Abdurrahman Wahid once again
defied his critics asserting that he is unruffled by calls for
his resignation, and even made a reconciliatory gesture by
defending Golkar Party against those who wish to see it
dissolved.

Speaking at a gathering with the Jakarta Arts Council (DKJ) at
Bogor Palace on Sunday, Abdurrahman underlined that under no
conditions would he leave his seat of office prior to the end of
his presidential term in 2004.

"I cannot leave the state. I'll be here till the end," he
remarked. "There's no need to worry."

Calls for the President to resign have picked up particularly
after a special committee of the House of Representatives
implicated him in two financial scandals.

The House then agreed to take action by sending a memorandum
to the President to further explain these findings.

Abdurrahman acknowledged the demands for his resignation,
including the increasing number of large demonstrations
particularly in the capital in the past week but questioned the
integrity of many of these demonstrators.

"Every day there are demonstrations in front of Merdeka
Palace. But they were paid," he charged.

He alleged that there are four main groups who want him
ousted: those that are afraid of legal action will be taken
against their past crimes, those who have political ambitions,
those who want to protect the status quo, and those who are being
paid to protest.

Golkar

The ever unpredictable Abdurrahman then surprised many of
those in attendance by launching into a defense of the Golkar
Party against those who would want the party, so closely
associated to the Soeharto's New Order regime, dissolved.

Abdurrahman said it would be unfair to dismantle the party
simply for its participation in the 32-year authoritarian rule of
the New Order.

"We should avoid dissolving the Golkar Party harshly ... it is
very inhumane. We should avoid it," Abdurrahman said as quoted by
Antara.

He insisted that while the party had made many mistakes and
had weaknesses in the past, it is a whole new party since the
reform era.

"I noted several mistakes of Golkar in the past, about how
they managed to win (general elections) mostly due to the support
from bureaucrats and the Indonesian military," Abdurrahman
remarked.

"But that was then, now they are different. They still have a
chance (to win) in the next election," he added.

While Abdurrahman's statement may infuriate many people, it
could possibly allay some pressure he is currently receiving
especially since Golkar holds the second highest number seats in
the House.

Meanwhile later here on Sunday evening at a post-fasting
gathering with his own National Awakening Party (PKB),
Abdurrahman called on his supporters to remain calm and patient
despite the intense pressure he is receiving.

Abdurrahman also claimed that he and the House have agreed to
cool the heated political situation.

"We have to be patient, what's done is done. The result of the
special committee, the continuing rallies, I am sure everything
will be okay. PKB should stay calm and be patient," he
remarked.

"I had a meeting with the House Speaker Akbar Tandjung and
deputy speaker Soetardjo Soerjoguritno. In the meeting we had an
agreement to try to allay the heated situation," he revealed.

Nevertheless in what seemed to be a challenge against his
opponents, Abdurrahman still snapped that even patience has its
limits and expressed his wish that all parties should stop
politically provocative activities within a week.

"So we should not do anything and see whether they dare to
continue their effort. I promise you the government will find the
instigators of these actions and not hesitate to arrest them," he
maintained.

"However, I will not suggest any anarchic actions to deal with
the problem."

He assured the people that security officers will deal with
the problem.

"When I heard that in East Java people vandalized Golkar
Party's office, I was very sad, but it shows that people were
offended," he said. (dja)