Sociologist warns of administrative crisis
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)