Sociologist warns of administrative crisis
JAKARTA (JP): A sociologist warned on Saturday of a possible administrative breakdown if President Abdurrahman Wahid continued to govern in an enigmatic and confusing manner.
"His ambiguous policies and the way he runs this government have created uncertainty both at the top and at the grassroots level," sociologist Imam Prasodjo of the University of Indonesia told The Jakarta Post.
The uncertainty could increase public distrust of the government and disregard of the law, which could lead to chaos, he said, citing as an example Abdurrahman's inconsistency in handling the issue of separatism.
"It is clear the government must not and cannot condone separatism. He once promised the Acehnese a referendum, but then after he became President he backtracked on his statement. This is similar to what is happening in Irian Jaya.
"He continues to play with words, creating divisions within his administration and negating the work of his Cabinet. Of course this process is very tiring for his ministers, who have to clean up Gus Dur's messes," Imam said.
He also said all internal disputes within the Cabinet should stay behind closed doors, and not become public fodder.
Theoretically, if there are fractures within a dominant group, in this case the government, it will likely lose its legitimate power, increasing the possibility for conflict and violence, Imam explained.
"Gus Dur's administration remains in power because the people are tolerant of him," Imam said. "The symptoms are clear."
"Many other political leaders and even members of his Cabinet have complained about his lack of leadership skills. I wonder how long this administration will last ... especially with regional autonomy just a few weeks away.
"Let us hope we all survive," Imam said.
The problem also lies in the fact that Indonesian leaders lack statesmanship, he said.
"Gus Dur has no statesmanship in running this government. All Indonesian leaders, including Megawati Soekarnoputri, are clan leaders. That is why if they are criticized, their followers act emotionally and tend to resort to violence."
Separately, noted philosopher Franz Magnis-Suseno said Abdurrahman must be able to accept criticism.
"He is my friend, but I truly think that if this government wants to survive, he must learn to listen to criticism from those who are really concerned by the current situation," Magnis said following a religious discussion here.
The President's supporters have frequently become angered by Abdurrahman's critics, including members of the House of Representatives and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).
Akbar Tandjung
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said during a seminar in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, on Saturday that criticism of Abdurrahman's administration aired by members of the House was merely an expression of official commitment, "not because we like or dislike him".
Speaking at the opening of a four-day seminar on the performance of legislators, Akbar reiterated that the increasing demand for Abdurrahman's resignation had no grounding in the law.
"I don't know if Gus Dur will resign in response to recent demands by some people. The legal ruling is that a president can only be dismissed through a special session of the MPR."
He did say a president could choose of his own free will to resign, if he realized he was losing the trust of the people.
He cited the case of the country's first president, Sukarno, who is said by some to have voluntarily resigned after losing the people's trust, reflected in student movements across the country in 1966. (02/edt/sur)