PKB calls for probe into affair slander

JAKARTA (JP): The National Awakening Party (PKB) urged on Wednesday a police investigation over parties spreading defamation against President Abdurrahman Wahid who was alleged to have had an extramarital affair in the past.

"We support a police investigation against parties spreading slander against the President," PKB's faction secretary at the House of Representatives Abdul Khaliq Ahmad said as he read a party political statement.

Khaliq described the measures taken by certain parties to undermine the President as vulgar, uncivilized and immoral.

He said these parties, which always seek to highlight the President's mistakes, continuously spread rumors and manipulate information against him.

"It's regretful that these parties involve those who are in a reputed and honorable circle," Khaliq remarked without elaborating.

Faction chairman Taufikurrahman Saleh added these "honorable parties" discrediting the President were also pro-status quo people who have large sums of money.

When pressed whether these people were among those legislators who continuously try to shake the government, he replied: "It might be."

Abdurrahman's alleged extramarital affair with a woman named Aryanti Sitepu had actually already become a hot discussion point among legislators during the latter half of the People's Consultative Assembly Annual Session a fortnight ago.

Certain legislators even offered journalists a scoop on the story of the affair, including a compromising photograph allegedly taken in 1996 of the woman in a house gown seated on Abdurrahman's left leg.

Abdurrahman was wearing a t-shirt and shorts in the photograph.

The President himself has so far refused to comment on the matter.

The story became public when Gatra and Panji Masyarakat magazines carried interviews with Aryanti and her former husband M. Yanur in this week's edition.

The woman claimed to have had a special relationship with Abdurrahman between 1995 and 1996. Abdurrahman at that time was still the chairman of the largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama.

According to Gatra, Aryanti admitted to receiving compensation for disclosing the alleged affair.

People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais, who is a known critic of the President, when asked by reporters on Wednesday to comment on the alleged affair, merely remarked that it reminds him of an old song titled "Aryati".

"I just remembered: 'Aryati, you are a rose overseen by the Moon'," Amien said, singing the opening verse of the melody.

Meanwhile, Abdurrahman's close aide who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab gave the view that Aryanti's story merely humiliated herself.

"I was sorry for that. Tell her that her faith should be enhanced," Alwi said. (jun/prb)