Miffed Gus Dur blasts KPU over ban on presidential bid

Miffed Gus Dur blasts KPU over ban on presidential bid

Tiarma Siboro and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta

Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid severely criticized the General
Elections Commission (KPU) on Saturday for banning him from
contesting the presidency on medical grounds, saying he would be
nonactive in his political party.

The nearly blind former president said he would leave the
National Awakening Party (PKB) to determine its own political
moves after the KPU made its decision official later this month.

"The commission has disclosed medical records of presidential
and vice presidential candidates, including mine, and said that I
failed to satisfy one of the requirements because I cannot see,"
Gus Dur told a media conference.

He said the commission was "discriminatory and
unconstitutional" by blocking his presidential bid.

"It is such a joke for me, even though I do understand that
the commission was serious about this. They have no legitimacy to
decide whether or not I am eligible to run for the presidency."

In the conference, Gus Dur was accompanied only by his
daughter, Zanuba Arifah Chafsoh Rahman, PKB deputy chairperson
Khofifah Indar Parawansa and secretary-general of the party law-
making body Arif Junaidi.

Gus Dur said the KPU did not have a standard by which to
determine the state of heath of all presidential hopefuls;
neither did the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI).

"Why can't I ask for a second opinion about such a medical
matter from other independent doctors?" asked Gus Dur, also a
prominent cleric from the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) -- the country's
largest Muslim organization.

"If the commission sets a requirement on our physical state of
health, why don't they refer us to the Indonesian Ulemas Council
(MUI) to give us its opinion on our mental state of health?" he
added in an emotional tone.

Gus Dur said he would file a complaint with the Election
Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) to help revoke the KPU decision.

Earlier in Yogyakarta, he was quoted by Antara as saying he
would sue the commission should it go ahead with its decision.

Gus Dur said he would temporarily quit as the PKB board
chairman in protest against the ban. It was up to the PKB to
decide its political stance on the presidential election on July
5, he added.

There was no official word from PKB executive leaders on
Saturday. However, Gus Dur's decision would force the PKB to
choose one of its three contingency plans: to coalesce with other
political parties, to support other pairings of presidential
candidates or to serve as an opposition party.

The law on elections approved last year requires all
presidential candidates to pass a grueling, seven-hour physical
and mental examination, including a sight test.

Gus Dur was unseated from power by the People's Consultative
Assembly in 2001 for alleged incompetence. Rival politicians
suggested that his erratic decisions in running the country were
due to his partial blindness and a long history of ill health,
including several strokes.

He warned that he could not take responsibility if people
reacted unfavorably against the decision to bar his candidacy,
while demanding the KPU change its decision by next week.

"I am not threatening the KPU but I'm simply saying there may
be an unfavorable reaction. Let's wait and see what will happen."

Separately, commission member Anas Urbaningrum refused on
Saturday to confirm the result of the medical test on Gus Dur.

"The announcement of whether pairs of presidential and vice
presidential candidates are eligible for the election will be on
May 22," he said.

Anas said all candidates had until May 21 to complete
candidacy requirements as set by the commission.