Megawati meets Abdurrahman, but enmity remains

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Giving a false impression of reconciliation, President Megawati Soekarnoputri (second from right) shakes hands with former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid during the opening of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) national meeting at the haj dormitory in Pondok Gede, East Jakarta on Thursday.

Megawati initially skipped Gus Dur after shaking hands with NU lawmaking body chief Illyas Ruchiyat (to the left of Gus Dur) and went straight to influential cleric Abdullah Faqih (left) and other guests on the front row.

However, Megawati then came back to Abdurrahman to shake his hand lightly after her husband Taufik Kiemas (center, wearing glasses) gestured for her to do so.

No words were exchanged between the two.

Shortly afterwards, Abdurrahman left the venue, before Megawati made her opening speech.

When asked whether he was disappointed with Megawati's gesture, Abdurrahman quickly said: "No ... and it (the shake hands) has nothing to do with reconciliation".

Once longtime friends, the two became enemies when Megawati, then Abdurrahman's deputy, helped topple him from the presidency and then replaced him.

Since his fall from power, the two have never spoken or greeted each other, despite being present once in the same room at a Chinese New Year celebration in Jakarta in January.

Unfortunately, both leaders failed to seize the moment at their meeting on Thursday to end their hostility.

Abdurrahman's brother, Solahuddin Wahid, also an NU leader, criticized Megawati as "childish" for reluctantly shaking hands with her ousted predecessor at such a rare meeting.

"She should have taken the initiative to shake hands with Gus Dur because she was in front of him. Her move to shake hands with Gus Dur was not a sincere expression of reconciliation," he said.

"It shows she is childish," added Solahuddin.

NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi, who replaced Abdurrahman while he was president, said his organization had been trying to reconcile the two leaders.

When Hasyim invited Megawati to open the NU national meeting, the latter immediately agreed to the invitation.

Nevertheless, Hasyim added that one of Megawati's presidential guards had asked him a few days ago whether Gus Dur would attend the event.

"If Mbak Mega and Gus Dur continue to keep a distance, then there must be something wrong with them.