P

resident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and Vice President Boediono have violated their oaths of office and the 1945 Constitution, a discussion forum concluded Monday.

SBY and Boediono have specifically violated Article 33 in the Constitution because of their frequent public lies, the forum in Makassar, South Sulawesi, determined.

Unless something is done, this situation could lead to social problems and the state’s destruction, complete with mass upheavals, forum participants said.

“Everyone worries about the impact. We don’t want to repeat the fall of Soeharto, do we?” Islamic State University (UIN) Alaudin, Makassar, professor Qasim Mathar told the discussion forum, attended by interfaith figures from South Sulawesi.

SBY and Boediono were urged to show honesty, firmness and bravery in dealing with the nation’s problems. They were also asked to stop using issues to distract people and to stop being so image conscious in trying to hide their failures.

“This must be stopped so there will be no more public lies,” said Qasim, who also initiated the forum.

Qasim said the 18 public lies that the SBY-Boediono government had been accused of should be responded to seriously and firmly by the government.

Participating scholar Ishak Ngeljaratan of Hasanuddin University, Makassar, said SBY and Boediono had failed to protect people both domestically and abroad. People were killing each other and they did nothing, Ishak said. Further, more and more national assets were being sold to other countries.

“That is proof they have violated the Constitution,” Ishak said.

The forum vowed it would demand SBY and Boediono step down if they ignored the forum’s written recommendations.

“It’s better to sacrifice the president and vice president rather than the people. We don’t want to see the entire country destroyed right before our eyes,” Qasim said.

In Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), the National Democrats (Nasdem) called on Indonesians to return to the concept of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) and the Pancasila state ideology.

This was urgent so as to restore the national spirit and prevent friction. “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika is not just a state symbol. It’s an integration strategy that needs to be re-implemented,” the organization’s supervisory council chair Sultan Hamengkubwono X said in Mataram over the weekend.

The Sultan said using Bhinneka Tunggal Ika and Pancasila as a reference should not be in terms of any minority or majority. Every ethnic and religious group can respect one another and live together side by side, he said.

“Anyone and any group has the same rights,” the Sultan said.