Megawati advised to show more wisdom

Megawati advised to show more wisdom

JAKARTA (JP): Abdurrahman Wahid has advised poll winner
Megawati Soekarnoputri to refrain from openly criticizing
political figures, including President B.J. Habibie, lest it
upset the ongoing process of political reconciliation.

"All the criticisms that she delivered in her speech were
good, but it would be better if she showed more wisdom and mercy,
including toward Habibie," said the chairman of Indonesia's
largest Islamic organization, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

Abdurrahman, also known as Gus Dur, was referring to the
political speech that his protege delivered on July 29. In her
speech, Megawati said the results of the June 7 polls
demonstrated a no-confidence vote for Habibie's administration.

Megawati also recommended Habibie, as the leader of a
transitional government, refrain from making strategic decisions
without consulting her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI Perjuangan) which won 33.7 percent of the vote.

"It would be better if we press for reform ... without
disparaging others," Abdurrahman, whose National Awakening Party
(PKB) took third place in the polls, was quoted by Antara as
saying on Saturday.

Megawati's address was praised by many political analysts,
including leading political scientist Mochtar Pabottingi, who
said the event reaffirmed her position as a reform leader.

"(The speech) is a plus point for her, PDI Perjuangan and the
reform movement," he said on Saturday. "This affirmation will be
useful in strengthening ties between reform groups such as the
National Mandate Party (PAN) and PKB."

Mochtar, a senior researcher at the Indonesian Institute of
Sciences (LIPI), suggested Abdurrahman Wahid and PAN chairman
Amien Rais support Megawati's presidential bid.

Criticism of the speech has also come from various quarters,
including Amien, whose party came fifth in the elections.

From the Central Java capital of Semarang, Amien said on
Saturday Megawati's speech was "quite good", but that it also
reflected her arrogance. He described Megawati's stance on
Habibie as "overly threatening" for the requirements of good
conduct necessary in a democracy.

Amien suggested Megawati follow up on her policy address. "I
just hope that after this, Megawati will really go out there and
meet the public and students and talk to non-governmental
organization activists, journalists, businesspeople and the
foreign community... If she did this, I would be very happy
because the presidential candidate that won the most votes showed
her willingness to listen to people's aspirations."

A harsher reaction came from Muslim leader Ahmad Syafii
Maarif, chairman of the second largest Islamic organization
Muhammadiyah. He said he personally did not support Megawati's
presidential bid, citing his lack of faith in her capabilities.

Syafii, speaking on Saturday at a regular discussion held by
The Jakarta Post in Yogyakarta, said if the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) elected Megawati as president he would respect the
decision.

However he added: "I would probably resign from my position as
chairman of Muhammadiyah" because (her election to the
presidency) could mean continued contact with her. "This I would
not be able to bear," Syafii said.

"Megawati has yet to be tested... she has not even made a
commitment to correct the mistakes of the previous presidents,
including her own father (founding president) Sukarno.

"Gender is not an issue for me... it was her statement in an
interview with a foreign magazine that if she was elected she
would revive her father's teachings... that's what rankled me."

The axis force

Following the announcement of the provisional poll results,
which showed the ruling Golkar Party tailing PDI Perjuangan,
expressions of support for either Megawati or Habibie have become
so marked that concerns have been raised about its polarizing
effect on the public.

In an attempt to break this struggle for the presidency, Amien
Rais recently introduced a new political alliance, the "axis
force", that has received the support of Islamic parties,
including the United Development Party (PPP), fourth overall in
the polls.

Amien said the alliance was meant to introduce equilibrium
into the current political configuration, and to introduce
alternative presidential candidates.

Mochtar Pabottingi, however, suggested that Amien should
withdraw from the new alliance, which he said was dominated by
the PPP. "In the axis force, Hamzah Haz (the chairman of PPP) is
the dominant figure. Amien does not have a decisive role, and it
would harm him and PAN if he stayed there.

"PAN should instead concentrate on preparing itself for the
next elections," he said.

Political expert Pratikno from Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada
University, however, said he did not believe the new alliance had
enough power to push for an alternative presidential candidate.

"The axis force would merely become a group that lobbies the
two competing sides (Megawati's and Habibie's), rather than
introducing a new candidate," Pratikno said. "The alliance was
formed merely to buy (the involved parties) leverage during
political bargaining.

"Let's be realistic, Megawati still enjoys the most public
support," he said.

Ahmad Syafii Maarif also believed the axis would eventually
side with Habibie in the presidential race, if the latter's
accountability of his tenure in the coming MPR session was
accepted by the people's representatives.

Other speakers at the discussion held by the Post were
constitutional law expert M. Mahfud MD of the Indonesian Islamic
University and anthropologist PM Laksono of Gadjah Mada
University. Both responded favorably to the new alliance.

"It's not meant to block Megawati's presidential bid," Mahfud
said. "It's a legal and constitutional campaign... and it should
press forward with an alternative presidential candidate."
(23/44/swe)