Reform movement must be upheld: Students

JAKARTA (JP): Alarmed by indications of a power struggle among aspiring presidential candidates and wary of the commitment of the new forces to the reform movement, students have threatened to once again return to the streets.

A statement released on Friday by the Yogyakarta Forum of Students read: "Students will take to the streets again to remind the political elite of their commitment to reform, regardless of who the president is."

In Jakarta, students also said they were carefully observing whether reforms were being carried out, as political parties actively engage in horse-trading to seek possible coalition partners.

The Yogyakarta forum, which comprises five student groups, said they regretted the stance of "certain reformist groups" which had begun to sacrifice earlier commitments. They said these groups also showed signs of cooperating with status quo groups.

"Ahead of the final poll results there is an increasing trend to blur the aim and meaning of reform, caused by the declining commitment of certain reformist groups who have now become more compromising because they have lost in the 1999 polls," said forum representative Rahayu Widodo.

Rahayu, also of the Association of Islamic Students (HMI), said "divisive forces" within the political elite of one of the parties would hamper the reform movement "if not stopped immediately".

Such a condition would "open the way for the comeback of pro- status quo forces which would prolong people's suffering," the students' statement said.

The forum urged all "reformist forces" to avoid being trapped by pragmatic considerations for the sake of power and to refrain from cooperating with pro-status quo forces and the military.

The forum refused to identify the groups or parties it criticized.

Last week the National Mandate Party (PAN) was quick to issue a press release clarifying statements made by party executives that PAN might coalesce with Golkar. The party denied the claim.

Golkar recently said its most ideal partner in a coalition would be the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan). The Megawati-led party has said it will only announce possible coalition partners after official results are declared on June 21.

PDI Perjuangan is leading in provisional tallies, followed by the National Awakening Party (PKB). Golkar is expected to overtake PKB as votes from outside Java flow in.

"Students will be consistent with their goals and reform demands," Rahayu said. "(We) will continue to demand the new government gets rid of corruption, collusion and nepotism, including bringing to trial former president Soeharto and his cronies."

In the past two days different groups of students in Jakarta have staged rallies reminding politicians of their commitments to the reform movement. They have emphasized calls for an end to the military's dual function doctrine, which they consider a major cause of power abuses and violence in the country.

Separately, the leadership of the Indonesian Muslim Student Movement (PMII) urged PKB founder Abdurrahman Wahid issue a compromise regarding coalition partners based on careful consideration of reformist forces, "instead of an opportunistic compromise".

Antara reported that PMII chairman Sultonul Huda was commenting on the meeting of Abdurrahman and President B.J. Habibie on Friday, and his meeting with Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung late Wednesday. However, the news agency said Sultonul Huda was not describing either the meetings with president or Akbar as opportunistic moves.

PMII asked Abdurrahman, known as "Gus Dur", to form a coalition with PDI Perjuangan, PKB and PAN, all three of which it categorized as reformist forces.

The three parties earlier issued a joint communique. However, there were no details on a coalition in the document.

"We ask that Megawati, Gus Dur and Amien Rais remain consistent in curbing the possibility of the return of the status quo using excuses based on religion," Sultonul said.

Controversy surrounds the many non-Muslim legislative candidates of PDI Perjuangan. A party executive said on Friday 30 percent of its 600 candidates were non-Muslims.

Antara reported on Friday that Madurese ulema issued a fatwa (guideline) stating that women were not eligible for the presidency.

"The use of religion and gender to kick out a political rival is unfair and undemocratic," Sultonul said, adding what was important to PMII was that the presidential election "was democratic and rational."

"We urge the Muslim community to understand that the issue of female leadership in Islam is a matter in which there is ongoing legal debates among ulema," he said.

On Thursday, coordinator of the Salemba Forum in Jakarta Agus Haryadi said students would continue their role as a pressure group to ensure the reform agenda was met.(anr)