Muchus Budi R., Solo – Commemorating six years since the fall of Suharto, students and non-government organisations (NGOs) held a demonstration in Solo, Central Java, on Friday May 21. During the action they declared their opposition to presidential candidates form the military, the neo-New Order [regime of former President Suharto] and the fake reformists.

The action was joined by around 100 people who originated from a number campus based groups, professional organisations, legal aid foundations and NGOs. Calling themselves the Surakarta (Solo) People’s Opposition Movement (Gerakan Oposisi Rakyat Surakarta) they included the Surakarta Muslim University (UMS) Student Executive Council, Indonesian Muslim Student Action Front (KAMMI), the Islamic Students Association (HMI), the Muhammadiyah Student Association (IMM), the Indonesian Legal Service Association, the People’s Democratic Party (PRD), the Indonesian Prosperity Trade Union (SBSI) and even a becak (pedicab) organisation.

The action was held at the Gladag roundabout in Solo. They said that although the Suharto regime was brought down six years ago under the pressure of the reformasi movement, the agenda of reformasi is still not being implemented because the forces of the neo-New Order, militarism and the fake reformists are still dominating the national leadership.

They therefore called on all sections of society to unite in an opposition movement together with all the different pro-democracy movements to immediately consolidate a nation-wide opposition movement.

In addition to this, they also explicitly stated that they oppose presidential and vice-presidential candidates originating from the military, the neo-New Order and the fake reformists. They did not however specifically mention any one name from the six pairs of presidential and vice-presidential candidates1 who they consider are included in these three categories. (asy)

Notes:

1. The six presidential and vice-presidential candidates who are contesting the July 5 presidential elections are: Democratic Party founder and former coordinating minister for politics and security Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and former minister for people’s welfare Jusuf Kalla; Golkar Party nominee former armed forces chief Wiranto and former National Human Rights Commission deputy chairperson Solahuddin Wahid (Gus Soleh); the chairperson of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle incumbent President Megawati Sukarnoputri and Hasyim Muzadi, the head of the Islamic mass organisation Nahdlatul Ulama; the head of the United Development Party and incumbent Vice-President Hamzah Haz and transport minister retired General Agum Gumelar; National Awakening Party head former President Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) and former Golkar Party deputy leader Marwah Daud Ibrahim (pending an appeal over the Wahid’s disqualification by the National Election Commission on health grounds) and; National Mandate Party chairperson and parliamentary speaker Amien Rais and former transmigration minister Siswono Yudhohusodo.

[Translated by James Balowski.]