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Will Wahid's Dismissal
Hasten Indonesia's Disintegration?
By Kazi Mahmood
Claiming the full support of the United States, Abdurrahman Wahid is slowly gaining more support at home in his struggle to survive as president of Indonesia. However, the withering political climate there has not changed despite the fact that his wife has denied his alleged involvement in a sexual scandal.
Political experts in Jakarta say that forcing Wahid out of power would only bring a disintegration of the Republic, agreeing with the views expressed by a high executive of the Nahdlatul Ulama (N.U.), the largest Islamic organization in the country.
"The biggest ill would be the disintegration of the Indonesian nation because of conflict among supporters of the political elite," head of the N.U. in East Kalimantan, H. Rusli, was quoted as saying.
Local experts such as E. Susanti said that the country had to accept the transitory period and allow Wahid to complete his mandate. She said that his opponents do not have the guts to bring him down and are still squabbling and bickering over which one of them should replace him.
Wahid recently boasted, from the presidential palace, ''There was an announcement from the U.S. government that said the United States supports my presidency."
On Monday, the U.S. State Department acknowledged that disagreements exist with the Indonesian government, but said that the administration of President Bill Clinton has every reason to maintain strong bilateral ties as Indonesia becomes democratic.
An adamant Wahid said that Washington was pleased with comments he made recently in which he rejected calls by top Indonesian politicians to have U.S. Ambassador Robert Gelbard, who has been branded "an undiplomatic diplomat" by an editorialist in Jakarta,
replaced. The State Department has said that it fully supports Gelbard. Spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters that the U.S. government stands with the ambassador as he is raising matters of deep concern to Washington.
"The issues of reform, of open economy, of need for anti-corruption steps and, in fact, the responsibility of the host country to protect diplomats, foreign visitors and tourists - these are all things that are very important to us,'' he said on Monday.
The parties of former president Suharto, of Golkar and Vice President Mme. Megawati Sukarnoputri's Democratic Party of Salvation (PDI-P) have all formally said they want the 60-year old leader to complete his mandate.
PDI-P legislator Pramono Anung, following up on party leader and Vice President Sukarnoputri's weekend call for a stop to criticism of Abdurrahman Wahid, said yesterday, "All this political bickering will not put an end to any of the country's problems.''
Similarly, Golkar faction leader Syamsul Muarif characterized the process of impeaching the President as "the worst in an array of bad choices."
Boosted by this unexpected support, especially from the Golkar Party, Wahid received another crucial vote of confidence - this one from his wife, Sinta Nuriyah. The first lady finally broke her public silence on widespread reports that President Abdurrahman Wahid had a long-running love affair with a woman named Aryanti Sitepu.
Sinta said that no one in Wahid's family believes the tabloid reports that her husband was involved in an amorous tryst with Aryanti from 1995-97.
"Nothing like that ever happened. Why should we get headaches thinking about it? Why bother?" she said in a seminar, which was broadcast by private television network SCTV.
She said that the reports, all of which were based on statements made by Aryanti, were completely unfounded and unbelievable. "How are we supposed to respond to something that never happened?" said Sinta, who holds a Master's degree in Women's Studies from the University of Indonesia. "Let them keep on thinking up stories about things that never happened."
While Wahid appears to be gathering more support in the wake of a hesitant opposition contesting his rule, his credibility to go the full mandate of 2004 will depend largely on street protests, Susanti told IslamOnline.
"The reform in Indonesia came through the streets with the students' unrelenting mass demonstrations against Suharto. Wahid should work hard not to have these students on the streets. That would mean the end of him," Susanti added.
University students from Greater Jakarta staged protests in various places in the capital this week, demanding the resignation of President Abdurrahman Wahid on the grounds that he has failed to fulfill the people's reform mandate.
The Jakarta Student Consortium (KMJ) staged a rally at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in central Jakarta. Coordinator Herland said that Abdurrahman has wasted the legitimacy given to him by the people, and that he has failed to uphold the supremacy of the law and to maintain national unity.
"Gus Dur (Wahid) has to resign because the trust given to him by the people has been wasted and not used as it should be," he said.
The students also demanded that the People's Consultative Assembly hold a special session to ask for the President's accountability.
In a separate protest, hundreds of students from the student activist group, City Forum (Forkot), marched to the House of Representatives building to voice similar demands, namely Wahid's resignation.
Susanti and other observers told IslamOnline that these events will have a great bearing on the future of the President, adding that Habibie failed to win the support of the Consultative Assembly last year due to massive student protests against him.
"If the United States is supportive of Wahid in the hope of extended democratic reforms in Indonesia, they [the U.S.] will have to accept that Indonesia has gone a step ahead in expectations. It is a democratic nation now and the street represents a bigger forum for or against the president," Susanti told IslamOnline.
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