NU leaders step up moves to end political crisis

NU leaders step up moves to end political crisis

SURABAYA (JP): Racing against time, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)
leaders have held meetings with several politicians over the past
few days, in an apparent bid to reconcile the ongoing political
stalemate that may result in a special session of the People's
Consultative Assembly.

Less than 24 hours after gathering political party figures
associated with NU, chairman of the country's largest Muslim
organization, Hasyim Muzadi, flew to his East Java home town of
Malang on Thursday to host a meeting between alumni of the Gontor
Islamic boarding school.

Indonesian Ulemas Council secretary-general Din Syamsuddin,
who is a former Golkar executive, Justice Party president Hidayat
Nurwahid, and noted political and cultural observer Emha Ainun
Najib were among 250 participants in the Malang meeting, which
took place at Hasyim's Al Hikam Islamic boarding school.

Hasyim said the gathering was "a brotherhood visit aimed at
seeking a united understanding of crucial problems facing the
nation".

No official statement was released after the event, but Hasyim
said he called on participants to take initiative in maintaining
national unity and preventing clashes between people at the grass
roots.

"House of Representatives legislators, particularly those who
represent conflict-prone areas, should come and speak to their
constituents. Never ignore the people's aspirations and the
demand of lower streams," Hasyim said.

His statement came after around 1,000 female activists linked
to NU marched to the provincial legislature in Surabaya in
support of embattled President Abdurrahman Wahid. The crowd,
claiming to represent Women Who Care for Reconciliation, held
aloft pictures of Abdurrahman while criticizing House speaker
Akbar Tandjung and Assembly speaker Amien Rais.

"We oppose the planned Assembly special session, which is
unconstitutional. We don't support anybody, but will fight any
political maneuvering which is prone to inciting conflict at the
grassroots level," the group's spokeswoman Julia said.

The House will convene in a plenary session on May 30 to
review Abdurrahman's response to the second memorandum of censure
issued one month prior. Most factions in the House have signaled
their agreement to call an Assembly special session to impeach
the President.

Also on Wednesday, hundreds of Abdurrahman supporters rallied
across another East Java town, Situbondo. Calling themselves the
Anti-Coup d'etat Forum, the people, mostly youths, besieged the
regional legislature to express their support for the President
and opposition to the Assembly special session.

The group demanded that Regent Disaman and legislative council
speaker Aqiq Zaman sign a statement rejecting the Assembly
special session.

Violence erupted when the two officials did not meet the
request. The crowd pelted the council's windows with stones
before leaving the scene.

Earlier in the day, a group of unidentified people attacked
the house of a local National Mandate Party (PAN) executive,
Sayonara, with firecrackers. Nobody was injured in the predawn
raid, but many of Sayonara's belongings were damaged.

It was the second act of terror aimed at executives of Amien
Rais' PAN in East Java within a week. Last Friday eight party
officials' houses in Situbondo and Bondowoso were attacked, two
of them set on fire.

Meanwhile in Tegal, Central Java, hundreds of people grouped
in the Diponegoro Force almost disrupted a ceremony installing
new executives of PAN's local chapter at the Korpri building on
Thursday.

PAN deputy chairman A.M. Fatwa led the ceremony on behalf of
the party's chairman Amien Rais.

Security personnel managed to disperse the protesters, who
said they rallied to reject any Assembly special session to
impeach the President.

After leaving the building, the group mobbed a photographer
from Republika daily, Agus Wijanarko, for taking photographs of
their activities. The mob snatched Agus's camera before beating
him up.

Tegal Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Lutfi Lubihanto said the
people also attacked the house of newly elected PAN local
chairman Djohan Firdaus, removing his furniture and setting fire
to it. Djohan's wife and children managed to escape the violence.

Police said no arrests had been made but investigations were
under way. (45/nur/emf)