No Amien, Megawati, Gus Dur meeting
JAKARTA (JP): Student activists' campaign to bring together three opposition leaders and have them issue statements that would defuse mounting tension between opponents and supporters of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), was foiled on Monday because of one leader's poor health.
Amien Rais, the leader of the National Mandate Party (PAN), was taken by the student activists to the house of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairman Abdurrahman Wahid, but the latter was out receiving medical treatment.
The third figure was Megawati Soekarnoputri, the chairwoman of a faction of the splintered Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), but there was no official word as to why she did not show up at Abdurrahman's residence in Ciganjur, South Jakarta. She lives about 15 minutes drive away in Kebagusan, also in South Jakarta.
Amien, however, said he was not disappointed that he failed to meet Abdurrahman, popularly known as Gus Dur, and Megawati. "As a man of faith, I believe man can only propose while God disposes.
"The students have been very intensive (in their efforts to bring about the meeting), but Gus Dur is still being treated... let's pray, and wish Gus Dur well," Amien said after meeting NU officials for half an hour.
NU deputy chairman Fadjrul Falah said Abdurrahman, accompanied by his wife, would be undergoing medical treatment for two hours. He did not say what the treatment was or where it was being administered.
Abdurrahman was recently discharged from Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital after being checked for high blood pressure. He was treated for about two months at the hospital after undergoing brain surgery in January.
Fadjrul said he appreciated the visit and said the meeting could not take place only because of "unmatched schedules".
"We appreciate Amien Rais' visit, he has come here all the way from the (Soekarno-Hatta) airport," Fadjrul said.
Amien had landed from Surabaya earlier in the day. He visited the provincial capital of East Java on Sunday to inaugurate the provincial branch of the newly established PAN.
Amien, who is the former leader of the 28-million strong Muhammadiyah Moslem organization, said he would try to contact Megawati and Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X to arrange a meeting for later in the evening.
Hamengkubuwono was reportedly in the city and the students deemed the newly elected Yogyakarta governor as one of the popular leaders who could help defuse the tension in the run-up to the Special Session.
Students and opposition politicians have rejected the Special Session saying that it only serve the interests of the government of President B.J. Habibie.
Included among the most important public aspirations that have yet to be met are demands for the prosecution of former president Soeharto for political and economic crimes, a thorough investigation into his wealth and that of his family members and cronies, an end to the Armed Forces' sociopolitical role, a firm date for a general election and a guarantee of open, free and honest polls and the abolition of the law compelling political parties to have the state ideology Pancasila in their constitutions.
Concern about possible clashes between the opponents and supporters of the session has been prompted by the deployment of 30,000 troops and police and about 125,000 civilian guards to secure the MPR compound.
The chairman of the Golkar faction at the Assembly, Marzuki Darusman, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday that the civilians -- albeit clad in military-style uniforms -- were prone to take inappropriate actions.
"They will not be able to handle a situation as professionally as the security forces," Marzuki, who is deputy chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights, said. (byg)