Wiranto, Gus Dur agree on informal dialog

Wiranto, Gus Dur agree on informal dialog

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces
Chief Gen. Wiranto and chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)
Islamic organization Abdurrahman Wahid have come to an agreement
that a national dialog is needed to solve national problems.

However, both also agreed that such a forum should not be held
in a formal style nor need it be institutionalized.

"It is important to hold a dialog to prevent misunderstanding
and to enable the country's leaders to share a common perception
on national issues," the two leaders said on Wednesday in a joint
written statement made public by Armed Forces spokesman Maj. Gen.
Syamsul Ma'arif on Thursday.

Syamsul said the meeting between the two figures, which took
place in a room at the Navy Mintohardjo Hospital in Bendungan
Hilir subdistrict, Central Jakarta (not at Abdurrahman's
residence as previously reported), concluded that leaders from
various groups should be included in the dialog.

"We are all brothers. We, therefore, need such a dialog," he
quoted the two as saying in their statement.

He said the two had agreed the dialog should aim at
establishing an agreement among groups on issues that should be
handled to help solve the economic crisis and other problems.

Syamsul also quoted Wiranto as telling Abdurrahman that
President B.J. Habibie had now expressed his readiness to receive
the Moslem leader.

Abdurrahman was the first to suggest a national dialog was
needed to stave off the possibility of a social revolution. He
then sought a meeting with both Wiranto and Habibie, who soon
afterwards said that such a dialog was not needed as it would
cause even more problems.

Separately, Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid expressed
his disagreement over the term "national dialog."

"If the meeting is called a national dialog, who is to decide
if its participants are really representative of the population?"
Syarwan cautioned reporters after attending a ceremony marking
his retirement from active military service in the Central Java
town of Magelang on Thursday.

"Moreover, dialogs can be held at any time," he said.

Syarwan said the only solution to the various social and
political problems was to hold a fair and honest general
election.

"The point is how we can now make sure that the electoral law
can guarantee honesty and justice," he said.

Meanwhile, Syamsul said that Abdurrahman, who is better known
as Gus Dur, had also asked Wiranto about the establishment of the
Council for Enforcement of Security and Law.

"The Council for Enforcement of Security and Law is different
from the now-defunct Operational Command for the Restoration of
Security and Order (Kopkamtib) and the Agency for Coordinating
the National Defense and Stability (Bakorstanas)."

"The new council does not operate at the regional level,"
Wiranto told Abdurrahman, as quoted by Syamsul.

Still quoting Wiranto, Syamsul said the council would analyze
certain national problems and provide the President with
suggested solutions.

The council was set up by President B.J. Habibie last month
and announced on Tuesday to control and coordinate efforts to
solve the crisis that has been threatening national stability as
well as to uphold the country's legal system.

Syamsul said Wednesday's meeting also discussed the plan to
establish a trained civilian militia called Ratih (Rakyat
Terlatih) to help maintain national security. (imn/44)