President Abdurrahman embarks on overseas trip
President Abdurrahman embarks on overseas trip
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid began his overseas
trip on Thursday with confidence that everything would be alright
during his two-week journey abroad.
"No, there will be no problems because Ibu Mega is here," the
President told journalists while referring to Vice President
Megawati Soekarnoputri by her nickname.
He expressed hope that people would remain calm and nothing
untoward would happen while he is away.
Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab, Minister of Defense Mahfud MD
and Minister of National Education Yahya Muhaimin, were among the
85 strong President's entourage leaving for Yemen, the United
Arab Emirates, Sudan, Egypt, Nigeria and finally Saudi Arabia to
perform the haj pilgrimage.
The President, popularly known as Gus Dur, is scheduled to
return to Jakarta on March 7.
Megawati along with several ministers saw him off at the Halim
Perdanakusuma Airport in East Jakarta.
Mahfud however, predicted that some groups would
opportunistically seek to worsen the country's condition while
the President is away.
"I am sure there will be people who will try to stir things
up, maybe there will be elements who will try to instigate
conflict between the executive and the legislature.
"But, all of this is still relatively normal, and not
dangerous," Mahfud said as quoted by Agence France Presse.
Meanwhile, House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar
Tandjung played down the possibility of a military coup.
"The President held coordinative meetings with the military
top brass before his departure. And I think it's normal for the
President to do so before leaving the country," Akbar told
journalists on Thursday.
"There will be no military coup. I really don't think that
will happen," he said.
An hour before the President departed, some 100 students
opposing Abdurrahman demonstrated near the airport.
Earlier in the morning, some 2,000 protesters of the
University of Indonesia's Executive Body (BEM-UI) staged a
demonstration in opposition to the government near the
presidential palace.
Wearing yellow jackets, the students staged a free speech
forum just some 300 meters from the presidential palace, carrying
banners and pamphlets, that read: Selamat jalan Gus, Jangan
kembali lagi (Goodbye Gus, don't come back), Gus Dur keluyuran,
rakyat terlantar (Gus Dur travels overseas, and abandons his
people) and Gus Dur cuek keadaan dalam negeri (Gus Dur ignores
the situation at home).
The President flew in a helicopter to the airport to avoid the
demonstration.
A similar protest in opposition to the President was held in
the Makassar capital of South Sulawesi on Thursday. Hundreds of
protesters grouped under the Alliance of Tamalanrea Student
Boarding House (KMPT) paraded to the local provincial council to
air their demand for the President's resignation.
Meanwhile, a protest over a different issue was held in
Yogyakarta on Thursday, with student protesters calling for the
cleansing of supporters and elements of the New Order regime from
the current government.
In a separate development, chairman of the Supreme Advisory
Council (DPA) Achmad Tirtosudiro said on Thursday that all advice
given to the President has been issued in line with the
Constitution and based on positive judgment.
"We have the right to give counsel whether being asked to or
not. The DPA just don't want Gus Dur to meet a similar fate to
the country's previous three presidents -- Sukarno, Soeharto and
Habibie," Achmad said in Bandung.
Basically the DPA don't want President Abdurrahman to end his
presidential term in disgrace, he said.
"It's good if the President can answer well to the House's
memorandum. But if he fails, we have to review the options, don't
we?" Achmad said, referring to the idea of Abdurrahman being the
head of state and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri in charge
of state administration.
"Anyway, we have to get used to Gus Dur's rhetorical style. We
mustn't take it personally and we have to accept it in a cool-
headed way," Achmad said. (23/25/dja/edt/rms)