REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - A member of the Regional Representative Council, AM Fatwa, has urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to take over controversy over the idea to change the names of Jalan Medan Merdeka around Monas Square. Committee 17 has proposed changing the names to Jalan Bung Karno, Bung Hatta, HM Soeharto, and Ali Sadikin.

"I asked President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to take over the controversy so that it will not be protracted," he said in a dialog on statehood on Wednesday.

The dialog also involved historian Asvi Warman Adam and culturalist Ridwan Saidi. AM Fatwa explained that the idea to change the names of the streets came from Committee 17. He said all the national figures had once clashed but personally they made peace with each other.

"This is for political reconciliation," he said.

Asvi Warman Adam, meanwhile, said as long as there are still controversies linked to it, it would be better that the idea is cancelled. "The names of Bung Karno and Bung Hatta have caused no polemic and so are not a problem but polemic emerged when the name of Soeharto appeared. To me so long as polemic still remains in the public I think there is no need to award Soeharto with a hero title yer," he said.

Aswi however said despite the polemic over Soeharto, government must cancel the plan to change the name of Jalan Merdeka Utara with Jalan Bung Karno and Merdeka Selatan with Jalan Bung Hatta.

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