Crisis a time bomb for govt, Amien says<\/p>\n
BANDUNG (JP): The leader of the 28 million-strong Muhammadiyah
\nMoslem Organization warned yesterday the government is sitting on
\na time bomb if it fails to quickly resolve the multidimensional
\ncrisis facing the country.<\/p>\n
\"Pak Harto is sitting on top of a political volcano,\" Amien
\nRais told journalists in the West Java provincial capital
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
The monetary crisis, Amien said, heightens the possibility of
\nthe situation \"exploding\".<\/p>\n
\"We do not need sophisticated university theories, common
\nsense would be enough to understand that the possibility (of
\nsocial disorder) exists if staple goods are becoming more
\ndifficult to get,\" Amien said.<\/p>\n
Amien said the government's legitimacy could also be
\nthreatened if the nation's economic crisis continued at the end
\nof a general session of the People's Consultative Assembly in
\nMarch.<\/p>\n
The public, Amien said, could lose confidence in the
\ngovernment and this would reduce the government's moral and
\npolitical legitimacy.<\/p>\n
\"People may nod and appear to agree when told about a
\ngovernment policy, but in fact, they do not carry out these
\ninstructions,\" Amien remarked.<\/p>\n
He said economic reforms should be implemented simultaneously
\nwith political reforms.<\/p>\n
\"Economic reforms must bring about social justice while
\npolitical reforms should institute a clean and good government,\"
\nargued Amien, who was recently named a presidential candidate by
\na branch of the United Development Party.<\/p>\n
He said that one of the problems concerning national
\nleadership here was the absence of a noticeable successor to
\nSoeharto who is acceptable to all political circles.<\/p>\n
\"Naming (Vice President) Try Sutrisno, (Minister of Research
\nand Technology) B.J. Habibie, (Minister of National Development
\nPlanning) Ginandjar Kartasamita, or whoever (as members of the
\npresidium) will ignite pros and cons,\" Amien said.<\/p>\n
Amien therefore forwarded the idea of a presidium in which its
\nmembers should represent all groups and political aspirations in
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
Armed Forces<\/p>\n
Amien said the Armed Forces remained a decisive factor in the
\ncountry's political future.<\/p>\n
\"Up till now, the Armed Forces is still a powerful political
\nplayer,\" Amien said adding that its loyalty lies in the survival
\nof the state.<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta, Deputy Speaker of the House Lt. Gen. Syarwan
\nHamid said the Armed Forces also supported the massive drive
\ntoward political reform.<\/p>\n
\"The Armed Forces also wants this nation to be better, but
\nreforms should be carried out in an orderly manner,\" Syarwan
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said reforms can be carried out through revolution and
\nevolution and quickly asserted the latter was the Armed Forces'
\nchoice.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, two small groups went to the House of
\nRepresentatives in Jakarta separately yesterday urging President
\nSoeharto not to run for a seventh consecutive term.<\/p>\n
The first group, calling themselves the Forum of Greater
\nJakarta Youth, carried posters saying: \"The national leader
\nshould be physically and mentally healthy\" and \"People want lower
\nprices not speeches\", and distributed a written statement
\nexpressing their demands.<\/p>\n
A second group of about 20 later arrived. This group called
\nitself Professionals for Democracy. (09\/10\/23\/43)<\/p>",
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