Habibie offers `accelerated evolution'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia needs reform brought about through an
\nevolution, not a revolution, President B.J. Habibie said
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
\"We have to realize that everything must be allowed to evolve.
\nBut the process can be accelerated. An accelerated evolution is
\nthe natural way to ensure the quality of the outcome,\" Habibie
\nsaid during a luncheon held for editors of newspapers and
\nbroadcast media at the State Palace.<\/p>\n
He explained that this was the way that he intended to pursue
\nreform, including preparations for a general election next year.<\/p>\n
\"I beg for your help, leaders of `information society', to
\nexplain our sincere intentions to the public. We can only
\naccelerate the process. We only 24 hours in a day, not more and
\nnot less,\" he told the media executives.<\/p>\n
He likened the reform process to constructing a multi-story
\nbuilding.<\/p>\n
\"You can't rush up and build the 10th floor straight away.
\nThat's impossible.<\/p>\n
\"What you can do is build the first, second and third floors
\nat a normal speed, then afterward you can accelerate your drive
\nuntil the top story has been reached.<\/p>\n
\"Evolution does not only apply to construction. In every
\naspect of our lives and thoughts, nothing happens suddenly. It
\n(sudden change) only happens in the 1001 Nights tales,\" he said
\nduring the four hour luncheon.<\/p>\n
Evolution minimized the risks associated with a revolution, he
\nsaid, adding: \"In the end, the nation has to bear the brunt.\"<\/p>\n
Habibie described the students' uprising of 1966, which helped
\nSoeharto to ascend to the presidency, as a revolution. On the
\nother hand, he called this year's student movement, which led to
\nSoeharto's downfall and helped his own rise to the presidency, an
\nevolution.<\/p>\n
The editors were the latest group of people to be spoken to by
\nHabibie in the two weeks since he was appointed president. He had
\nearlier met with religious leaders, senior business figures and
\nprominent members of the reform movement.<\/p>\n
The legitimacy of Habibie's presidency is still widely debated
\nand he came under strong criticism when he announced this week
\nthat he had no plans to call a general election until next year.<\/p>\n
Speaking without a prepared text, Habibie begged his guests to
\nbe understanding, and said that it would be better if the entire
\nnation spoke the same language when talking about reform.<\/p>\n
\"We can speed it up. We can run, and then stop to contemplate.
\nThat is the gradual approach.\"<\/p>\n
\"I ask you to maintain the momentum for reform, but be
\nrealistic. We all have our limitations.<\/p>\n
\"We need to focus our attention on the future. That does not
\nmean that we should forget past practices of corruption,
\ncollusion and nepotism,\" he said, pointing out that there were
\nlegal channels to resolve these problems.<\/p>\n
Habibie said his government \"has been rushing\" to implement
\nthe various reform agendas, including the preparation of new
\npolitical laws which would open the door for a fair general
\nelection to be held as early as May next year.<\/p>\n
\"We intend to complete the laws on elections and political
\nparties by August. That gives us two months, gentlemen.<\/p>\n
\"They (the government team) are working hard to draft the
\nlaws ... Once the drafts are completed, I will give them to you,
\nyou can publish them, and let the public study them thoroughly.<\/p>\n
\"But I will only give you one month, because we want to have
\nthe laws enacted by December,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Once enacted, the People's Consultative Assembly could meet in
\nDecember to set a date for general elections, he said. \"They
\n(assembly members) will need only one day to decide.\"<\/p>\n
He argued that the country would then need a few months to
\nprepare for the elections. \"If everything goes well, Insya Allah
\n(God willing), we can hold the elections in May next year,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
A new assembly formed as a result of the elections could then
\nmeet in December to elect a new president and vice president.<\/p>\n
Habibie predicted a coalition government would emerge from the
\nelection which would be contested by more than three parties.<\/p>\n
He estimated the election would cost Rp 3 trillion to
\norganize. Last year's election cost Rp 1.4 trillion because it
\nwas only contested by three parties, he said.<\/p>\n
Regarding his economic program, Habibie said the government
\nwould give greater attention to small and medium enterprises
\nbecause they were more resilient than large conglomerates.<\/p>\n
\"They gave us a cushion when we fell. It's only natural that
\nthey now be given a special place in our economy,\" he said.
\n(prb\/emb)<\/p>",
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