Time for Gus Dur to understand the people: Scholar
Time for Gus Dur to understand the people: Scholar
YOGYAKARTA (JP): It is the time for President Abdurrahman
Wahid to understand the people, a scholar said in a seminar here
on Monday.
Riswanda Imawan, a political observer at Gadjah Mada
University, said in a discussion Understanding Gus Dur that Gus
Dur, as the President is affectionately called, was still
applying the old leadership principle of "you follow me' rather
than "I follow you", which is really relevant and needed in a
modern society.
The half-day seminar organized by The Jakarta Post
representative office in Yogyakarta also featured two other noted
scholars -- economist A. Tony Prasetyantono and state
administrative law expert Mohammad Mahfud.
Therefore, Riswanda said, the people are required to
understand (the will of) the leader and not vice versa. "As a
consequence, the management pattern being employed by the
President is inspired by the New Order's management style."
He cited the elimination of certain people from the Cabinet,
and the repressive methods applied by both the New Order regime
and Abdurrahman's administration.
"It is right that he (the President) has the prerogative to
fire Cabinet ministers. However, the fact that the fired
ministers had been guaranteed by their political party leaders
should have been considered."
Riswanda suggested that Abdurrahman recruit true political
experts who have unquestioned mastery of political science, not
political activists or politicians, as his political advisors.
"This could prevent Gus Dur from making controversial and
confusing statements," said Riswanda.
According to Mohammad Mahfud, Abdurrahman, former chairman of
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Muslim organization in
Indonesia, is believed by most NU members to be wali (the chosen
one or religious icon).
As a wali he would do no wrong, said Mahfud of Yogyakarta's
Indonesian Islamic University.
"Whatever he does is right. The more he denies that he is wali
the stronger the people believe that he is wali. Thus if he does
something right, the people say that it is a sign that he is an
icon. But if he does something wrong they will say that people
don't understand what he does."
Tony Prasetyantono, who is also from Gadjah Mada University,
shares his opinion. Tony said that Gus Dur needed "champions" in
macroeconomics to save the people from further downfall.
"He needs macroeconomists to strengthen the economic team to
help him correct the country's catastrophe. We need
macroeconomists who are always thinking about WTO even in their
dreams," he said, mentioning a few names, including Dorojatun
Kuncorojakti and Mari Pangestu.
The "champions" would also help the President better
understand the real economic situation. It is not that easy for
someone to explain the real economic problems to the President
due to his physical handicap.
"Explanations of economy are usually accompanied by tables,
graphs, curves, or diagrams that are difficult to explain with
words only," he said. "It is, therefore, quite understandable
that Gus Dur has difficulty making correct economic policies.
Meanwhile, in Makassar, South Sulawesi, senior lawyer Adnan
Buyung Nasution called all parties and all layers of society to
continue supporting Abdurrahman, despite his weaknesses and
shortcomings, "Or the situation will deteriorate."
Buyung was of the opinion that a total reshuffle of the
current Cabinet would facilitate economic recovery. "We need
professional, idealistic Cabinet members with clear commitments.
He said Abdurrahman has no clear programs. "He reigns with
intuition." (swa/sur/27)