Dont Topple Megawati, But Dont Elect Her Again

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Indonesian Muslim scholar Nurcholis Madjid has asked people not to use the recent protests as a way to topple President Megawati Soekarnoputri. They can criticize Megawati all they want but dont topple her from the presidency. Just dont elect her again in the general election in 2004, Madjid told reporters after a discussion with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw entitled Britain and the Islamic World held at Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Executive Board office in Jakarta on Thursday (9/1). As reported earlier, the number of protests has increased since early this year since the government decided to increase fuel prices, telephone rates and electricity tariffs. On Thursday (9/1), the business community and laborers carried out street protests, urging the government to revoke their decision on price hikes. On Friday (10/1), students under the banner of the Students Executive Board, plan to carry out protests for the same reason. According to Madjid, with Indonesias existing presidential system, the current government will receive the consequences of their mistakes in the next general election. Thats what a presidential system is for. If the current government is toppled before its term ends, theres no guarantee that its mistakes will not be repeated by the next government, he stated. Furthermore, Madjid demanded people to be more patient with the current system of government. We side with the system, and not with Megawati, he stated. (Budi Riza--Tempo News Room)