Petisi 50 group warns of New Order regime elements
Petisi 50 group warns of New Order regime elements
JAKARTA (JP): After two decades of opposition, the Petisi 50
(Petition 50) group was unrelenting on Tuesday, marking its
anniversary with a strong warning that allies of its old foes,
the New Order regime, were still threatening democratization.
To mark its 20th anniversary the group issued a statement
titled We are Called to Save the Nation, warning that political
supporters of the New Order regime were quietly continuing
efforts to regain power.
"The nation and the state are under threat, therefore we are
called upon to save it," Chris Siner Kei Timu said reading the
statement.
The statement was signed by the group's chairman Ali Sadikin
and members Azis Saleh, Gen. (ret.) Hoegeng Iman Santoso, S.K.
Trimurti, Hari Sanusi, Rajab Ranggasali, Wachdiat Sukardi and
Chris himself.
The gathering marking the group's jubilee was held at Ali
Sadikin's residence on Jl. Borobudur, Central Jakarta.
Ali, a retired marine lieutenant general, is one of the
cofounders of the group, which was established on May 5, 1980.
The group consists mostly of former senior government
officials and military officers.
At a time when there was rarely strong public opposition
toward the government, the group was steadfast in its criticisms
of Soeharto's rule.
President Abdurrahman Wahid visited Ali Sadikin in March and
praised him as the country's pillar during the difficult times
under Soeharto's rule.
"He was very strong in facing the hardship. I am very
appreciative of him," the President said of Ali.
Ali himself said at that time Abdurrahman's Cabinet would need
at least one year to show its progress due to the complexity of
the country's problems.
In their statement on Tuesday, the group did not explicitly
criticize Abdurrahman's presidency, however they did express
concern over Cabinet disunity.
"The formation of the Cabinet was a compromise between the old
regime and reform forces," the group said, while suggesting the
upcoming general session of the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR) in August be a forum to acquire a progress report from the
President. (prb)