Play by the rules

Play by the rules

From Koran Tempo

The main problem of this nation lies in its leader, as he has
physical limitations and has twice suffered a stroke. Plus how
can he behave wisely if the information he receives is
incomplete?

I am not underestimating President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur"
Wahid's capability in acting wisely, as we know he is a pluralist
and a democrat, but he should not trust the people surrounding
him just like that. I am afraid that Gus Dur himself does not
realize that presidential figures have been controlled by those
surrounding him and this is truly dangerous.

As we know, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) is a Muslim religion
organization and once it has sincerely let its personage enter
the arena of politics, then it should accept the "rules of the
game".

On a healthy political map, the executive should have strength
in the House of Representatives, which can rightfully make the
claim that it works "in the name of the people". Isn't our
legislative body the outcome of a most democratic and
internationally acclaimed election?

The state of the nation these days requires wisdom, pure
hearts and souls from the political elite, who should not search
for loopholes in our Constitution, which has, we are fully aware,
a number of shortcomings. Aren't the People's Consultative
Assembly decrees there to make the admittedly "lacking"
Constitution more complete? So why are the decrees then
"proscribed"?

Wasn't Law No. 23/1969 on states of emergency declared
authoritarian, hurtful to democracy and against the reformation
movement? And to Munir, Hendardi, Khofifah and the Democratic
Forum: "Where are you now and what do you think?"

Effendi

Jakarta