Ghalib gains dubious 'Soeharto' honor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Andi M. Ghalib has won the
\n\"Soeharto Award\" after topping a list of anti-reform figures in
\nthe country in a student-run opinion poll, the organizers
\nannounced on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Ghalib was followed by President B.J. Habibie, who grabbed the
\nsecond position and Minister of Defense\/Indonesian Military (TNI)
\nCommander Gen. Wiranto, who won third rank in the poll
\nparticipated in by 2,479 respondents from across the country.<\/p>\n
The three figures won the titles as the respondents took part
\nin the May 21 to June 1 poll and placed them as those who
\ndeserved the Soeharto Awards for being anti-reformists and the
\nNew Order's strong defenders.<\/p>\n
According to Ari Wibowo, chairman of the organizers from the
\nUniversity of Indonesia Students' Executive Body said Ghalib came
\nin first place with 797 votes, followed by Habibie with 472 votes
\nand Wiranto with 247 votes.<\/p>\n
\"Ghalib and Habibie were considered by most respondents as
\nfigures who have no spirit to enforce the supremacy of law,\" Ari
\ntold a press conference.<\/p>\n
Wiranto's stubbornness to reject demands for the revocation of
\nthe military's dual roles led him to win third place, Ari added.<\/p>\n
The majority of respondents were private employees and
\nstudents, according to the results of the poll.<\/p>\n
The 2,479 respondents participated in the poll either by phone
\nor by directly filling out forms available with the organizers.<\/p>\n
After the award announcement at the university's campus at
\nSalemba, Central Jakarta, the organizers left the site to deliver
\nthe awards of the approximately 40-centimeter high trophies
\nadorned with Soeharto's headshot on the top to the winners.<\/p>\n
Riding on a bus, 11 of the organizers under the company of
\nseveral journalists headed to Ghalib's office in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
As the students were about to enter the compound, the office's
\nsecurity guards locked the entrance gate.<\/p>\n
After a heated debate with the security staff, the students
\nlaid the trophy for Ghalib, who is currently overseas \"to hunt\"
\nfor Soeharto's bank's account, under the iron gate and left the
\nAttorney General's Office for Wiranto's office on Jl. Medan
\nMerdeka Barat in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Later in the evening, a security guard at Ghalib's office said
\nthe trophy which was left in front of the closed gates by the
\nstudents, was taken inside the office.<\/p>\n
\"But I don't know where it is now,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Similar to the scene at Ghalib's office, the students were
\nalso barred from entering the Ministry of Defense Office.<\/p>\n
After several minutes of arguments, the security personnel led
\nby Capt. Triyono allowed the students to put the trophy for
\nWiranto on a nearby entrance gate of the building.<\/p>\n
In an attempt to directly hand over the award to Habibie at
\nthe Presidential office, the students were blocked by scores of
\nsecurity personnel on Jl. Veteran, one block from Habibie's
\noffice.<\/p>\n
Here, the troops again led by Capt. Triyono, ordered the
\nstudents to board the bus and leave the site.<\/p>\n
A few minutes later, the troops applied force to the students
\nin a bid to get them on the bus.<\/p>\n
A source said she saw a student throw the trophy to the
\nsecurity personnel from the bus.<\/p>\n
\"We admitted to throwing the award at the troops since my
\nfriend was so upset over the security personnel's brutal action,\"
\nAri Wibowo said last night.<\/p>\n
The students then fled the site and returned to Salemba
\ncampus. (asa\/emf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ghalib-gains-dubious-soeharto-honor-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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