Reform movement must be upheld: Students

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)