Wiranto meets influential Muslim leader in East Java
Indra Harsaputra and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Tuban/Jakarta
Presidential hopeful Gen. (ret) Wiranto met with influential Muslim leader Kyai Abdullah Faqih in Tuban, East Java, on Tuesday, accompanied by former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid.
The visit came two days after President Megawati Soekarnoputri met with several Muslim leaders led by Hasyim Muzadi at the Al Hikam Islamic boarding school in Malang, East Java.
Hasyim, chairman of the country's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), with over 40 million members, also attended the meeting between Wiranto and Kyai Abduallh Faqih.
Abdullah, one of the country's most influential Muslim leaders, was consulted by Gus Dur before he contested the 1999 presidential election.
Wiranto, who was dismissed as coordinating minister for political and security affairs by Gus Dur in 2000, arrived in Surabaya at 11 p.m. on Monday and immediately went to a hotel to meet with Gus Dur.
At about 6 a.m. on Tuesday, the two left the hotel in the same car headed for Tuban.
Gus Dur and Wiranto's visit coincided with the wedding of one of Abdullah's children. Gus Dur, Wiranto and Abdullah skipped the wedding party and held a closed-door meeting.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Gus Dur said his visit to Abdullah's Langitan Islamic boarding school was simply to attend the wedding of Abdullah's child.
"We made no political commitment. This is a meeting between friends," Gus Dur said.
Several leaders of Gus Dur's National Awakening Party (PKB), including Alwi Shihab, Mahfud M.D. and Choirul Anam, were among the wedding guests.
Also present were Muslim leaders Mustofa Bisri, Muchid Muzadi, Chotib Umar, Abdullah Abbas, Yusuf Muhammad and Cholil Bisri.
Minister of Religious Affairs Said Agil Munawar, former religious minister Tarmizi Taher and National Mandate Party (PAN) member Fuad Bawazier also attended the event.
Relations between Gus Dur and Wiranto reached their lowest point when Gus Dur -- in his capacity as president -- dismissed Wiranto in February 2000 for his alleged involvement in the violence before, during and after the United Nations-sponsored referendum in East Timor in 1999.
The two had their first meeting since the dismissal last year at a hotel in South Jakarta.
Wiranto returned to Jakarta shortly before the wedding ceremony began to address a group of Indonesian businesspeople.
The retired general said on Tuesday he had a similar vision as Gus Dur on how to help the nation recover.
Wiranto declined to comment when asked whether his meeting with Gus Dur indicated the PKB supported his presidential bid.
Speaking at the business forum, Wiranto pledged to focus on corruption eradication and law enforcement if elected.
Indonesia will hold a legislative election on April 5 to choose members of the House of Representatives, provincial and regental/municipality legislatures and the Regional Representatives Council.
Only parties or coalitions that earn 3 percent of the seats in the House or 5 percent of the total vote will be allowed to field candidates in the presidential election on July 5.
Economic consultant Tjiptono Darmadji said the business group addressed by Wiranto held regular meetings.
"Pak Wiranto was invited to share his thought about Indonesia's future," he said.
Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid and economist Pande Raja Silalahi will also address the group.