Congratulations pour in for reelected President Soeharto<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Prominent local and global figures yesterday
\ngreeted the reelection of President Soeharto for a further five-
\nyear term in office.<\/p>\n
Dili Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo extended a warm welcome
\nto Soeharto's reappointment by the People's Consultative
\nAssembly. The East Timorese Catholic's leader also congratulated
\nB.J. Habibie, who the assembly will name vice president today.<\/p>\n
\"Personally and on behalf of the East Timorese people, I
\ncongratulate Pak Harto, whom Indonesian people have trusted to
\nlead them into a new millennium that will offer both hopes and
\nchallenges,\" Belo, the joint 1996 Nobel Peace Prize winner, was
\nquoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
He said the Indonesian people had chosen their best men to
\nlead the country for the next five years.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore, everybody should with all their hearts accept (the
\ntwo leaders),\" said Belo, a persistent critic of the government
\nover alleged abuses of human rights.<\/p>\n
Belo suggested that Indonesia start grooming its leading
\nnational figures for the post-Soeharto era.<\/p>\n
\"We expect that our future leaders will not only be
\nintelligent, but will have strong morals and ethics. In the
\nabsence of such basic requirements, a nation will languish and
\nfall to its ruin,\" Belo said, adding that Indonesia should learn
\nfrom world history.<\/p>\n
The issues of clean government and good governance were
\nprominent during early proceedings of the General Session, with
\nall five factions in the People's Consultative Assembly
\ncampaigning for the eradication of corruption, collusion and
\nmonopolies.<\/p>\n
Belo said the most immediate issue faced by the new
\npartnership of Soeharto and Habibie would be to lead the country
\nout of the turmoil of the financial crisis.<\/p>\n
\"We hope the President and his aides will manage to find a
\nsolution to the crisis soon and will be willing to hear
\naspirations from the poor, youths and students. What those people
\nhave been complaining about are very much a reality,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Belo expected the government to implement development programs
\nwhich will yield both political and economic achievements in the
\nnext five years.<\/p>\n
\"Our history has proven that an administration oriented toward
\npolitics caused our economy to become vulnerable, while an
\nadministration oriented toward economic growth slowed political
\ndevelopment,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"I expect President Soeharto to be able to settle the crisis
\nas soon as possible through fair and internationally accepted
\nmeans,\" Belo added.<\/p>\n
The crisis spilled over into Indonesia after first striking in
\nThailand last July. There are still no clear signals of an end,
\ndespite a massive international rescue package.<\/p>\n
Belo also expressed his long-standing hopes of a resolution to
\ndisputes over East Timor.<\/p>\n
World greeting<\/p>\n
From Beijing, the People's Republic of China sent warm
\ncongratulations to President Soeharto in a letter from President
\nJiang Zemin and Prime Minister Li Peng.<\/p>\n
A copy of the letter was made available to The Jakarta Post by
\nthe Chinese Embassy. It said that the two Chinese leaders
\nexpected that Indonesia under Soeharto would step up measures to
\nend the crisis now gripping Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n
They said that the combination of Soeharto's leadership, the
\nhard efforts of the Indonesian people and help from the
\ninternational community would \"bring the Indonesian economy back
\nonto a track toward healthy development.\"<\/p>\n
From Manila, AFP reported that President Fidel Ramos said \"I
\ncongratulate him\", but refused to say any more.<\/p>\n
Other Asian leaders have yet to comment, but Thailand and
\nSouth Korea called on Soeharto to get to work on his country's
\ncrisis ridden economy.<\/p>\n
\"Thailand congratulates President Soeharto on his
\nreappointment and we look forward to seeing implementation of
\nappropriate measures to address the economic problems in
\nIndonesia, now that the political situation has been resolved,\"
\nsaid foreign ministry spokesman Kobsak Chutikul in Bangkok.<\/p>\n
South Korea issued no official statement. A foreign ministry
\nofficial said that with the expected reelection of Soeharto,
\nSeoul hoped Indonesia could resolve its grave economic problems.<\/p>\n
The Japanese government also made no immediate statement. A
\nforeign ministry official only said: \"We have received news of
\nPresident Soeharto's appointment from our embassy there.\"<\/p>\n
\"We appreciate that Indonesia's assembly chose Soeharto as the
\nleader for next five years.\"<\/p>\n
Neighboring Malaysia has yet to comment over Soeharto's
\nappointment.<\/p>\n
In Cambodia, Phnom Penh offered cautious congratulations to
\nSoeharto.<\/p>\n
\"The government and foreign ministry welcome the election of
\nPresident Soeharto in a further term, we respect the sovereign
\ndecision of the Indonesian people,\" said foreign ministry
\nspokesman Hor Sothoun.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is part of the Association of Southeast Asian
\nNations (ASEAN) \"troika\" which is seeking to mediate a solution
\nto the current Cambodian crisis, not always with the Cambodian
\ngovernment's blessing. (amd)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/congratulations-pour-in-for-reelected-president-soeharto-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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