Nation's fate not in hands of four people only: Amien
Nation's fate not in hands of four people only: Amien
JAKARTA (JP): People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien
Rais described as nonsense assertions that the fate of the
country depended four-people alone -- President Abdurrahman
Wahid, Vice President Megawati, House of Representatives Speaker
Akbar Tanjung and himself.
"I don't know who made that up, as though only four people can
determine the fate of this country," he said during a dialog with
the city executive council in Jambi on Sunday.
The dialogue is part of two-week tour by Amien and his
entourage of eight Sumatra provinces which began on Nov. 5.
"If the four didn't exist, would Indonesia, with more than 200
million people, vanish? It's nonsense as there are many
Indonesians who are qualified as leaders," he added as quoted by
Antara.
Accompanied by Deputy Governor on Development Economy Uteng
Suryadinata, Amien said that the problems faced by this country
is everyone's responsibility, not a limited group of people or
certain political elite.
As for criticism against him saying that he often says the
wrong things, Amien said that to err is human.
Disagreement among political elite, he said, should not be
exaggerated as such things are normal in a democracy and would
hopefully lead to the growth of a prosperous and powerful
country.
After completing his tour on Tuesday, Amien said that he would
hold a meeting with a number of national leaders.
"We'll discuss what I've seen and learned during the journey,"
said Amien who also chairs the National Mandate Party (PAN).
Amien also said that based on the experience gained from his
travels he felt that the threat of separatism was the biggest
challenge facing the country.
Destruction
Earlier on Saturday, Muhammadiyah deputy secretary general
Rosyad Soleh, warned that polarization of the nation's two
largest Muslim organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and
Muhammadiyah, would only bring destruction to the country.
"If it really happens, Muslims in Indonesia will be paralyzed,
as the two biggest Islamic organizations pose a strong and
fundamental force in the country," Rosyad said as he opened a
meeting of the executive board of Muhammadiyah's chapter here.
His remarks came in the wake of heightened tensions between
the two organizations due to political bickering between the
organizations' two senior figures -- Amien Rais and President
Abdurrahman Wahid.
Both chaired their respective organizations before assuming
official state functions.
Rosyad believes that "a certain group" was actually pitting
the two Islamic organizations against each other by making use of
the existing complex political and social situation.
"All cadres of Muhammadiyah and Muslims in general must take
this trend into account," he said.
He further stressed that Muhammadiyah will consistently try to
avoid any polarization and not be used as pawns in a political
game.
Rosyad further emphasized that Amien's high profile and
political enterprises should not be associated with Muhammadiyah
as he already assumed the post of PAN chairman and Assembly
Speaker.
"Fortunately the relations between the two biggest Islamic
organizations remain harmonious," he stressed.(hdn)