Where's the maturity?

More than one year after the fall of the authoritarian Soeharto regime, rumors still replace modern journalism here. Several weeks ago when President Abdurrahman Wahid was on a trip abroad, rumors circulating here had it that three ministers would soon lose their jobs for alleged involvement in corruption.

Since it was believed the rumor emerged from an incomplete report from the President's news conference abroad, Minister of Law and Legislation Yusril Ihza Mahendra, who was one of the three subjects of the rumor, asked that the president either confirm or refute the gossip. The President cleared Yusril's name.

However, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare and Poverty Eradication Hamzah Haz did not get the same treatment from Gus Dur, as the President is popularly called. Several days later Hamzah lost his job. Abdurrahman said the minister had resigned because he wanted to concentrate on developing the Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP), of which he is the chairman.

But some PPP executives believe he was fired. It took days before everything became clear, and Hamzah did not register any complaint with the government.

However, the controversy did not end here. Disappointment was evident, especially among many PPP leaders. The situation worsened with Abdurrahman's decision to give Hamzah's job to a little-known university rector from Makassar, instead of to a PPP member. Some people started to believe that there may be some truth in a rumor claiming that Abdurrahman is not too fond of PPP.

And PPP, which was dealt a double blow in this case, dragged the "axis force", a political coalition which spearheaded Abdurrahman's election to the top job and of which PPP makes up the largest part, into the arena.

Amien Rais, one of the cofounders of the coalition and speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly, expressed regret over the way Hamzah was replaced. He announced that the axis force, which comprises PAN and several Islamic parties, expressed its discontent with the President through Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab.

While asserting that he did not believe the President was intentionally distancing himself from the axis force, Amien did hint at attempts to undermine the political grouping.

Amien warned that the axis force could mount a counteroffensive against those attempting to weaken the grouping. His statement has provoked a new controversy, even though he fell short of naming names. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, the largest faction in the House of Representatives, whom some people might suspect is responsible for some of the agitation, has denied having any enmity toward PPP.

But the most unpalatable element in this skirmish is PPP's demand for compensation for the setback it claims it has suffered. The compensation it wants is two ministerial posts, claiming that the loss of a coordinating ministerial post is worth two ministerial posts. Perhaps only a few thinking people can digest the request, especially considering it has come from a 26-year-old political party.

But mostly it appears to be a show of political immaturity.

The truth is, for the sake of democracy, this country is badly in need of an effective opposition in the House. And PPP would do well to consider playing this role, rather than demanding a presence in the Cabinet.