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Wahid finds few friends on his return home

Source
Sydney Morning Herald - November 18, 2000

Lindsay Murdoch, Jakarta – President Abdurrahman Wahid flew back to Jakarta this week into stormy weather that has nothing to do with the arrival of the monsoon season. Members of Indonesia's elite are stepping up their attacks on the 60-year-old President amid behind-the-scenes manoeuvring to unseat him.

Few people these days have a good word to say about him as prices for basic services and goods soar, the rupiah and stock market flounder, secessionist demands approach fever pitch in some parts of the country and the Government appears to lurch from crisis to crisis.

While Mr Wahid was making one of his frequent overseas trips, 200 of the country's 700 MPs last weekend attended an informal gathering called Outpouring of Opinion, organised by a former finance minister, Kwik Kian Gie. They accused the Government of a lack of strong leadership and vision, inconsistency, inability to uphold the law and, most damaging of all, continuing a culture of corruption and nepotism.

Quickly forgotten have been Mr Wahid's achievements such as forcing the armed forces into renouncing their role in politics, outmanoeuvring the former armed forces chief, General Wiranto, and prising the national police out of the military's clutches.

Even Mr Wahid's spokesman, Wimar Witoelar, candidly admits his boss's failings. "For this presidential office, the things that one hears outside basically are all true: you know, how disorganised it is ... an uncontrollable president. I can say with all the honesty I can convey here that this man is a good guy. I can also say that my man does not have the competence to govern."

The blunt message from the presidential palace is that people should not expect too much or rely too heavily on Mr Wahid, who is clinically blind.

According to the Van Zorge Report, a regular analysis of Indonesian politics, Mr Wahid's legitimacy is being gradually eroded by a series of destabilising events and continued attacks on his credibility against a backdrop of apparent gridlock in the process of reform and economic recovery.

Analysts say his authority is being undermined increasingly by the political and military elite. Many of these people remain loyal to or are on the payroll of the family of former president Soeharto and his cronies.

The results for the country could be dire, analysts say, citing events in West Papua, the far eastern province formerly known as Irian Jaya. After taking office Mr Wahid listened to the Papuans, who were marginalised under Soeharto. Mr Wahid promised them autonomy and even allowed to them fly their beloved Morning Star, the separatist flag, as long as it was alongside and below the Indonesian flag.

But Mr Wahid's critics described the concessions as a grave mistake that could lead to the disintegration of Indonesia, and forced him into a policy backflip. The Papuans are now threatening a bloodbath unless their demands are met.

Mr Wahid's willingness to talk with separatist leaders in Aceh, the staunchly Islamic province at the other end of the archipelago, has also been portrayed by his critics as weakness instead of an attempt to negotiate an end to a vicious cycle of violence.

On many important issues, such as West Papua, Mr Wahid is in disagreement with his Vice-President, Megawati Sukarnoputri, who appears to be close to hardline elements of the armed forces.

She has so far refused to join calls for Mr Wahid's resignation, but was said to have been very interested in the meeting of Mr Wahid's critics organised by Mr Kwik, a key member of her party. "Kwik would never have proceeded without Mega's blessing," Tempo magazine quoted a source as saying.

But as the Van Zorge Report said: "Toppling President Wahid will not be a quick-fix solution to the complex array of problems facing the country, but would do immense damage to the tentative steps towards empowering civil society."

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