No time for delay, nations tell Soeharto<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON (Agencies): Leading nations sent a clear message
\nyesterday to Indonesia's President Soeharto: Time is running out!<\/p>\n
United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright yesterday
\ncalled on President Soeharto to \"preserve his legacy\" by
\npermitting a transition of democracy.<\/p>\n
In a speech at graduation ceremony for the U.S. Coast Guard
\nAcademy, Albright increased pressure on Soeharto, saying that
\n\"now he has an opportunity for an historic act of statesmanship\"
\nby stepping down.<\/p>\n
By stepping down, Albright said in a prepared speech, Soeharto
\nwould \"preserve his legacy as a man who not only led his country
\nbut provided for its democratic transition.\"<\/p>\n
A senior U.S. official said while Albright did not directly
\ncall for Soeharto's resignation, that was the point of her
\nstatement.<\/p>\n
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer went further,
\nmaking plain his view that the Indonesian leader should resign
\nwithout delay.<\/p>\n
Downer said the nation of 200 million people needed a quick
\nleadership transition to avoid instability and restore its
\nbattered economy.<\/p>\n
\"If there is too much delay ... I think the stability of
\nIndonesia will be once more brought into question,\" Downer told
\nAustralian Broadcasting Corporation radio.<\/p>\n
Downer said a leadership transition that took 18 months to two
\nyears, as predicted by some in Indonesia, was far too long.<\/p>\n
\"If it's going to be too drawn out, the confidence of the
\nIndonesian community will be lost in the reform program and the
\ntransitional process,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Transition<\/p>\n
Britain called for \"peaceful transition\" in Indonesia,
\nsignaling support for the end of what a minister called \"the
\nSoeharto regime\".<\/p>\n
\"We call on the government of Indonesia to ensure that the new
\nelections are free and fair,\" Foreign Office Minister Derek
\nFatchett told parliament.<\/p>\n
\"Political reforms are needed that will do justice to the
\naspirations of the people of Indonesia,\" Fatchett said.<\/p>\n
He urged Indonesia to introduce changes quickly to restore
\ncalm and stability but added later in reply to questions: \"I'm
\nnot optimistic that they (the elections) will take place but we
\nwill continue to push in that direction.\"<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto said
\nyesterday that President Soeharto had promised to carry out
\nreform and elections. Hashimoto told reporters he had received a
\nmessage from the Indonesian leader earlier in the day.<\/p>\n
\"(Soeharto) promised to seriously pursue reforms.\"<\/p>\n
Hashimoto also said the President also promised to take into
\naccount Japan's request that Indonesia exercise maximum restraint
\nin handling its political and economic crisis.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Japanese government officials said they were
\n\"extremely concerned\" about the situation in Indonesia and voiced
\nhopes unrest there would not lead to bloodshed.<\/p>\n
\"We are extremely worried,\" Foreign Minister Keizo Obuchi told
\nthe Lower House Foreign Affairs Committee.<\/p>\n
\"We understand that students are not fully satisfied (with
\nSoeharto's statement),\" Japan's top government spokesman Kanezo
\nMuraoka told a news conference. \"But bloodshed must be avoided.\"<\/p>\n
Neighboring Malaysia was guarded in its reaction.<\/p>\n
Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told the Bernama news
\nagency that Soeharto's promise to hold polls would give
\nIndonesians a chance to make a choice under the constitution.<\/p>\n
\"The people will certainly welcome this,\" Abdullah said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in Manila, President Fidel Ramos welcomed Indonesian
\nPresident Soeharto's decision to step down yesterday, and offered
\nto help the riot-torn country out of its economic troubles.<\/p>\n
\"I welcome President Soeharto's announcement outlining what
\nappears to be his graceful exit from power,\" Ramos said.<\/p>\n
Ramos praised Indonesian protesters for calling off a massive
\ndemonstration scheduled for yesterday and appealed for restraint
\namong Indonesia's military, students and opposition groups.<\/p>\n
\"This will facilitate reconciliation and eventual recovery,\"
\nRamos said in a statement read at a news briefing. He said a
\nresumption of violence would make it hard for Indonesia to
\nrecover from its economic woes and seriously affect the economies
\nof other Asian countries.<\/p>\n
Citing the warm relations between the two countries, Ramos
\nsaid the Philippine government was ready to help Indonesia solve
\nits economic and other woes \"without interfering in their
\ninternal affairs\".<\/p>\n
Cuban leader Fidel Castro also remarked that Indonesia is
\nfacing \"a real crisis situation there\".<\/p>\n
Castro told Associated Press Television after addressing the
\nWorld Trade Organization Tuesday that he believed the
\nInternational Monetary Fund bailout packages led to the violence
\nin the country.<\/p>\n
The crisis was \"created by the IMF because of the measures it
\nhas required the government to take\", the 70-year-old president
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Critics, including Castro, say conditions for the aid --
\nimmediate cuts in subsidies and firing workers to trim budgets --
\nwere taking a severe social toll.<\/p>\n
\"I would very much like for peace to return to Indonesia, for
\nthe good of all the people,\" Castro said. \"We are very sorry for
\nall the deaths, all the lives that have been lost, and young
\npeople who are dead.\"<\/p>\n
In Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Vladimir
\nRakhmanin said the government was \"carefully watching\"
\ndevelopments in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
He was quoted by Itar-Tass news agency as saying the situation
\nhad \"somewhat stabilized at the present time, but that does not
\nmean we have relaxed our vigilance\".<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/no-time-for-delay-nations-tell-soeharto-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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