|
Indonesia Enters A Three-Corner Fight
by Kazi Mahmood for IslamOnline
KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Indonesia seems set to enter into a three cornered struggle involving the defunct "new order" regime, Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid's administration and opponents to the embattled and crippled president.
The leader of the second-largest political party in Indonesia has called on his followers to take up arms against people who are attacking its offices and members around the country.
Thousands of Golkar Party supporters urged their leader, Akbar Tandjung, to take steps to prevent a deterioration of the situation against the party.
Tandjung told supporters in the town of Solo, in the heart of Java island, not to hesitate to defend the party. He said party members should fight against oppression and take up arms to defend themselves.
Coming as a surprise in Indonesia's general elections in 1999, the embattled and increasingly isolated rightwing Golkar managed to receive a fair 25% of the votes, and now controls a quarter of the legislature.
The party was the political vehicle of the ex-dictator Suharto, who ruled Indonesia with an iron grip for 32 years before being pushed from power amid protests in 1998.
The Golkar laid the framework for the infamous "new order" regime that replaced the previous regime headed by the father of Indonesia's independence, Sukarno.
The Golkar dominated Indonesian politics alongside Suharto and was composed mostly of friends and relatives of the first family. It also made way for the wives and concubines, as well as children, of Golkar politicians to be nominated as parliamentarians under Suharto.
Anti-Wahid supporters and students want the party banned for life and its leaders dragged to court for alleged human rights abuses in the past.
Groups opposed to Wahid have hurled bombs and rocks at buildings housing Golkar offices, something that party members and Suharto himself would never have dreamt possible in Indonesia.
And Golkar has again been targeted since the influx of pro-Wahid supporters in the capital city of Jakarta. They say the party is behind moves to impeach Wahid and that it should be destroyed.
Suicide gangs from Pro-Wahid groups have stoned or torched at least 10 party offices in the political heartland of East Java.
Observers state that mob rule and anarchy are bound to reign in the country if demonstrations do not end and a solution not found to problems that have been created by Wahid, who is refusing resignation.
Thousands of Wahid supporters rallied at the House of Representative on Tuesday, pledging they would support the embattled leader to death.
The protesters, coming from East and Central Java, were estimated to number 2,000 to 3,000.
Police allowed the protesters to enter the compound after they had amassed in front of the House gate, causing traffic congestion.
Demonstrators from East Java brought a five-meter length of white cloth on which there were at least two million signatures from Gus Dur supporters. The cloth was to be presented to House Speaker Akbar Tandjung.
Meanwhile, six major political factions in the House were drafting a second censure memorandum for the President. He has yet to respond to the first censure issued by the House in February but his Minister of Defense, Mahfud M D, said the President would rebut all the accusations.
The House had censured Wahid saying that the president could have played a role in the disbursement and use of Rp35 million belonging to a foundation of the National Logistics Agency (Bulog).
The president is also accused of giving inconsistent answers over a donation worth $2 million from the Sultan of Brunei.
The two cases have since become known as Buloggate and Bruneigate.
Wahid is facing mounting calls for his resignation due to what many consider the poor performance of his administration.
He has also been criticized for his frequent overseas trips at a time when the country faces a myriad of problems.
|
