Ananda Ismail/Fitri & GB, Jakarta – A recent survey by the Public Interest Research and Advocacy Center (PIRAC) apparently reinforces the findings of other surveys: that if President Abdurrahman Wahid got a report card as if he was a student, he would not have passed. According to PIRAC, 63% of respondents believe Wahid's 15 month-old administration is bad or similar to the previous regime.

PIRAC conducted the survey in eight big cities across Indonesia- Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya, Denpasar, Medan, Padang and Pontianak – from September 27 to November 2, 2000. The survey theme was: Public Assessment of Abdurrahman Wahid's Administration.

One might think that the Muslim community would be less critical and more forgiving of Wahid, a Muslim cleric and former leader of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest Muslim organisation. The survey, however, appears to reveal otherwise.

Around 25% of Muslim respondents said the performance of Gus Dur's administration had been poor. This is higher than respondents from other religious backgrounds. Hindu (15%), Catholic (13%) and Protestant (12%) respondents were less likely to say that his performance had been poor.

The survey also shows only 12% of the 1,869 respondents said Indonesia is better under the leadership of Gus Dur – as the President is popularly called – than under the New Order regime of former president Suharto. As many as 25% of respondents refused to give their opinion.

The survey does not contain much good news for the beleaguered President. Only 32% of respondents do not believe that he is still capable of leading Indonesia. Around 30% believe he can and the majority, 38% of respondents, chose to remain non-committal on the issue.