NU to hold seminar on presidency and related gender issues

PURWOKERTO, Central Java (JP): Indonesia's largest Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama, whose members have been divided over the concept of a woman president, will hold a national seminar to discuss the presidency and the gender issue.

Noer Iskandar al-Barsany, one of the organizers, told The Jakarta Post the seminar is being planned in connection with the organization's congress, which is held every five years, in Kediri, East Java, in November.

The event will be held on July 16 and July 17, but Noer did not name the venue.

"This national seminar is on the pre-conference agenda. It is to be held in cooperation with the Purwekerto-based Institute of Religion and Philosophy Studies," Noer said.

Several top NU leaders, including Abdurrahman Wahid (also known as Gus Dur) will attend, as will scholars Masdar Farid Mas'udi and Mohammad Sobary.

Noer dismissed the suggestion that the planned seminar was to pave the way for Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, whose presidential bid has been rejected by many Muslim groups on the grounds that Islam bars a woman from heading an administration.

"This is a purely scientific seminar by NU ulemas," he said.

However, he did not deny that the seminar could be advantageous for Megawati should the participants issue a stance allowing a woman president.

Despite the controversy over a woman presidency, support for Megawati has continued to flow. Several supporters in Bandung, West Java, initiated a drive to collect thumb prints in blood on a 200-meter-long white banner.

In addition, according to coordinator Dedy Hermansyah, "hundreds of supporters will go the House of Representatives" to voice their wish that she be elected president.

Dedy said no PDI Perjuangan officials had instructed them to take up the campaign, although he admitted to have been influenced by similar drives in East Java and other places.

In many cases, Indonesians have been divided into two camps: those supporting Megawati, and those who support Golkar's presidential candidate, B.J. Habibie.

A vote of support for the incumbent came on Tuesday from Indonesia's most senior army general, Abdul Harus Nasution, who is honored as one of only three five-star "great generals" in Indonesia. The other two are former president Soeharto and the late Gen. Soedirman.

"We must give him our support. We have no other choice," Nasution said after his meeting with Habibie at Merdeka Palace. Habibie has frequently visited Nasution, especially on Islamic holidays.

Opportunity

Meanwhile, rights campaigner Todung Mulya Lubis said that Megawati, although she was not an ideal candidate, should be given the opportunity to become the next president.

"Megawati is very shy and has not articulated her thoughts much. But, the first priority should be given to her as her party has won the elections," Todung told members of the Asian News Network on Tuesday. "And Megawati should not surrender, but continue her struggle," he said.

Political observer Hermawan Sulistyo said Megawati's road to the presidency will be a difficult one as she is not backed up by the military.

"She also has communication problems with the press," he said, quoting media people citing she was already a "dictator".

He said, however, that members of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) should remember when they gather to elect a new president in November that Megawati has scores of supporters who might not be able to accept their leader's defeat.

Hermawan dismissed speculation that a military figure will take advantage of the weaknesses of both Habibie and Megawati to gain prominence and the presidency.

"I'm sure that a military candidate will receive strong opposition from people at the grassroots level and the students," he said.

Senior economist Anwar Nasution, who spoke at the same event, lamented how difficult it was for the public, and also political analysts, to understand Megawati due to her elusiveness.

"We cannot read her mind," Nasution said.

Nasution, also dean of the University of Indonesia's School of Economics, said Megawati cannot be compared with Corazon Aquino of the Philippines or Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan given the different situations in the countries.

"It's thanks to former president Soeharto that she became a hero," he said.(05/43/44/45/imn)