Suggesting that Mega resign

Indonesian politics is full of surprises, logical and illogical. Like lightning coming out of the blue, one of the younger sisters of Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri has suddenly suggested that Megawati should resign her post to make way for national peace just when the most likely thing to happen in the horizon is the impeachment by the People's Consultative Assembly, at the request of the House of Representatives, of the incumbent, President Abdurrahman Wahid.

If the two can no longer cooperate in discharging their tasks as President and Vice President, "my sister should better resign to show her statesmanship, like the late former vice president Moh. Hatta, who stepped down when he could no longer work together with the late president Sukarno", Rachmawati suggested.

It is astonishing how this sister, who is chairperson of the Sukarno Educational Institute and founder of the Sukarno University, has failed to see what is actually going on in Indonesian politics today. How the national political parties are now mostly pinning their hope on Megawati, to take the lead in getting rid of President Abdurrahman Wahid, through persuasion or a gentle push.

It should be recalled that in former president Soeharto's era, Sukarno University had not been granted permission to open. Only after Abdurrahman Wahid became President, did he allow the activities of the Sukarno Education Institute to start up. In gratitude for the beau geste by Abdurrahman Wahid, Rachmawati seems willing to return the favor even to the extent of sacrificing her sister's career and reputation. At least it appears so on the surface.

Eight of the 10 political parties have withdrawn their political support for Abdurrahman Wahid through their motion of censure or vote of no confidence. Knowing that he is politically beleaguered on all sides, Abdurrahman Wahid has resorted to a different tactic; to influence the other two sisters of Vice President Megawati, by visiting them at their homes. It is more fitting to call the practice a "political intrigue" than a political tactic, carried out by the President's camp.

If he is to save the day, Abdurrahman Wahid should mobilize all his resources to defeat the censure motion now before the People's Consultative Assembly in a fair and constitutional manner.

GANDHI SUKARDI

Jakarta