Jakarta – An association of minor Islamic political parties yesterday called on embattled president Abdurrahman Wahid to exercise greater wisdom, but rejected calls for him to resign.
The association, which is chaired by Islamic Peoples Party (PUI) Chairman Deliar Noer, said the president should conduct a cabinet reshuffle to remove ministers with links to the regime of ex-president Soeharto. He also demanded that Golkar Party, the former political vehicle of Soeharto, be abolished.
Calls for Wahid to quit or stand aside pending corruption investigations have increased after parliament last week censured him over two multi-million-dollar graft scandals.
The president has been given a censure memorandum, which gives him three months to improve his performance and answer the charges against him. If he fails to do so, he will be given another month to answer a second memorandum. After that, impeachment proceedings can begin.
Peoples Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais has called for the nations top legislative body to convene and impeach Wahid as soon as possible. But Noer said the president must not resign or be sacked. He was speaking at a gathering of thousands of Muslims at Al-Azhar Mosque in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.
He told the huge crowd that Wahid needs to reflect on his style of leadership and statesmanship. Noer said the House of Representatives, which showed considerable vigor in its investigation of the two graft cases linked to Wahid, should also investigate some of the many scandals that took place under former presidents Soeharto and B.J. Habibie.
He said cases that warrant investigation include the central bank liquidity assistance (BLBI), corruption within the Armys Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad), and the allocation of land for senior military personnel in various locations.
Noer condemned the parties that have been calling for Wahids resignation. If he resigns, how would the running of the state be organized? We are supposed to closely monitor President Wahid over the next three months, following the issuance of the memorandum. In the meantime, we are waiting for the president do to remedy the misconduct that was practiced during his governance.
Noer said Golkar is responsible for plunging the nation into its current crisis and should therefore be dissolved. It should dissolve itself, because no matter what happens, Golkar will be the party that halts the reform movement.
The Muslim parties grouped in the association led by Noer include: the Islamic Peoples Party, Abul Yatama Party, New Indonesia Party (PIB), Nahdlatul Ummat Party (PNU), New Masyumi Party (PMI), 1905 Indonesia Islamic Union Party (PSII-1905) and Islamic Democrat Party (PID). None fared well enough in the 1999 general election to get any seats in parliament.