It is urgent that Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid realize millions of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) followers have suffered and will continue to suffer unless he is able to control himself and his thirst for power. The danger is clear. But only Gus Dur can stop Gus Dur, because very few people can change his mind, not even family members.

The question is whether he is ready to make a sacrifice for these NU followers. To this point there has been little to indicate he is. Gus Dur, however, has little choice but to put aside his personal ambitions if he wants to see democracy flourish here.

For millions of Indonesians, including NU members and minorities, Gus Dur is respected as a prominent fighter for equality and pluralism. But that respect could quickly disappear if the Muslim scholar does not act like a statesman. Gus Dur played an important role in helping the country end Soeharto's dictatorship in 1998. What role is Gus Dur now playing in enhancing democracy, pluralism and equality here?

He is still remembered by many Indonesians as a prominent democracy activist and a vivid campaigner for pluralism during the Soeharto era. But it is very difficult not to come to the conclusion that he has at times acted like Soeharto, using an iron fist to maintain power.

Gus Dur, a former president and co-founder of the National Awakening Party (PKB), is known as a leader who is quick to fire even his most trusted confidantes – often without any apparent reason in the eyes of the public. The widespread belief is that these firings are often triggered by the people around Gus Dur "whispering" information to the nearly blind cleric. And in the PKB, he has near absolute power.

But it is not just Gus Dur who has to pay the price for his erratic leadership. He could end up sacrificing millions of members of the country's largest Muslim organization, the NU, where he still plays a central role. It will be nearly impossible for the PKB to maintain its position as the country's fifth largest political party in next year's legislative elections if NU members are divided.

Gus Dur's latest controversial move was the dismissal of his nephew Muhaimin Iskandar as chairman of the PKB's executive board. The reason was simple: Gus Dur was not satisfied with Muhaimin's leadership. For the public, the dismissal was sudden and questionable. As a former chairman of NU – his maternal grandfather Hasyim Ashari established the organization – Gus Dur is adored by NU members. PKB itself is inseparable from NU.

In the PKB, Gus Dur has near absolute power, just like Soeharto and Golkar Party during Soeharto's 32-year rule. To the disbelief of many – if not most – Indonesian voters, Gus Dur still has an ambition to contest next year's presidential election. He apparently does not realize he has severely damaged his reputation by his confrontational behavior. He also fails to grasp that his poor health has undermined public trust in him.

Gus Dur, during his presidency, fired more Cabinet ministers than any other president. During his less than two-year term from October 1999 to the middle of 2001, he fired no less than five ministers – many for no apparent reason – including the current President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and Vice President, Jusuf Kalla, as well as former vice president Hamzah Haz and Gen. (ret) Wiranto.

As PKB patron, he has also fired two of its chairmen, former defense minister Matori Abdul Djalil and his former foreign minister Alwi Shihab.

But the PKB is not alone. Other political parties, like the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Democratic Party (PD) and the National Awakening Party (PAN), face similar leadership problems. The PDI-P is dependent on former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, PD is the personal political vehicle for President Yudhoyono while former People's Consultative Assembly speaker Amien Rais is nearly identical with PAN. The survival of those parties depends much on their leaders.

Parties need to learn from the experience of Gus Dur. Megawati herself is very similar to Gus Dur in her handling of the PDI-P. Unless the parties are allowed to develop as modern organizations, it is just a matter of time before they become consigned to the dustbin of history.

Again, we urge Gus Dur to show some statesmanship. He had his opportunity to lead the country. Now he needs to step aside for younger leaders, otherwise history may take a dim view of him.