Stop political disputes

Stop political disputes

From Jurnal Indonesia

In retrospect, when the reform drive toppled the old regime
and led to the establishment of a new and more democratic
government, imbued with the vigor to uphold the supremacy of
civilians and bring the reform drive to completion, the emergence
of KH Abdurrahman Wahid, or Gus Dur as he is popularly called,
and Megawati Soekarnoputri as the leaders of this country was in
fact the best choice for the Indonesian people.

It must be remembered that with all his pluses and minuses,
Gus Dur has saved the Indonesian "ship" from sinking. Gus Dur
should not be blamed for all the crises still gripping Indonesia
as they are the legacy of the Soeharto regime. It must also be
borne in mind that the status quo forces are still trying to
obstruct Gus Dur's administration because they want a comeback to
the seat of power and also to free themselves from being punished
for the sins they committed during the New Order era.

At this juncture, one must also take into account the
political cost to be paid if the conflicts involving the
political elite lead finally to national disintegration. There
will be bloodshed and innocent people will fall victim. At
present the people are suffering enough from the protracted
crisis so do not make them suffer more.

Also, it must also be taken into account the "strongman" who
must finally emerge if the conflicts involving the political
elite become unsolvable. This strongman will use his iron hands
to stifle press freedom, ignore human rights and restrict
individual freedom, all in the name of restoring stability. If
this happens, it will mark the failure of the reform drive and
the return of a nightmare for the Indonesian people.

It is no longer the right time to mobilize the masses to
pursue one's political goal. What this nation needs is the
intelligence of a statesman, even if he/she is from a minority
group, who has a popular and forward-looking perspective and is
bent on pursuing progress for the nation.

Therefore, allow me to:
1. Call on our political elite to end their disputes, which are
actually based on a vested interest in power, as these disputes
may lead this nation to disintegration.
2. Appeal to all members of the People's Consultative Assembly
to establish a new and more civilized Indonesia with a greater
respect for human rights and universal humanitarian values.

FIKRI THALIB

Indonesian National Council of Disabled People