Public pressure needed to stop Habibie<\/p>\n
Following heavy criticism over President B.J. Habibie's
\naccountability speech, some may think his days are over, moreover
\nwith the controversial nomination by the Golkar Party of Gen.
\nWiranto for vice president. But political researcher Mochtar
\nPabottingi of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said
\nthis cannot be taken for granted.<\/p>\n
Question: What is your general view of Habibie's
\naccountability speech?<\/p>\n
Answer: I followed it right to the end even though I was
\nsleepy... I would rate it at two (out of 10). That was not an
\naccountability speech (pidato pertanggungjawaban) it was
\npertunggingjawaban (accountability put on its head)<\/p>\n
Since Habibie is an intellectual we would have expected
\nanalytical rigor in anticipation of public reaction. The
\npresentation would have been comprehensive and it would mean the
\ninclusion of weaknesses, which would be a sign of honesty. There
\nwas none of that. The speech merely directed the audience and it
\nwas deceitful.<\/p>\n
Of the Bank Bali scandal we were only told the money had been
\nreturned.<\/p>\n
Q: Would you say he lost the chance to become a statesman
\nby not owning up to shortcomings?<\/p>\n
A: He doesn't have the character to become one.<\/p>\n
Q: Now that he's picked Gen. Wiranto as his running mate and that
\nhis speech has come under heavy criticism, has Habibie's chance
\nfor the presidency run out?<\/p>\n
A: I do believe that there is a significant number of People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) members now who have consciousness;
\nthe proof is that they elected Amien Rais (as chairman), and he
\nis doing very well. However, we should not take it for granted
\nbecause the stakes are too high.<\/p>\n
It would be a disaster to have Habibie and Wiranto. We would
\nhave a second Soeharto regime.<\/p>\n
Public pressure is needed to stop Habibie and Wiranto. I have
\ngreat hope in the students, they are risking their lives, their
\nnumbers are getting bigger. We are grateful of the signs of more
\nconnection between the MPR and outside the MPR. We must all
\nensure continued pressure and go all out for democracy.<\/p>\n
We must reject further destruction of the republic by Soeharto
\nwhich was continued by Habibie.<\/p>\n
Q: Do you think all members of Golkar nominated him out of
\nloyalty?<\/p>\n
A: It would be difficult to imagine money politics did not play a
\nrole... well, it (the nomination) would be from lack of
\ncharacter and money politics.<\/p>\n
Q: Wiranto has never said no to this nomination, saying that as
\nan Indonesian Military (TNI) officer he is ready for any
\nassignment to serve the country. How do you see this, when TNI
\nhas pledged it is reforming itself and will gradually phase out
\nof politics -- a recent LIPI study revealed TNI's \"half hearted
\nreform\".<\/p>\n
A: There was never any reform, Wiranto has failed to deliver.
\nWhen TNI said it was reforming itself regarding human rights, the
\nquestion is, which cases have been brought to court, who has been
\nconvicted? TNI can't say the public should not keep condemning it
\nbecause it is trying to reform itself, the sacrifices have been
\ntoo great. People cannot \"buy a cat in a sack\" (by entrusting
\nTNI's reform to itself).<\/p>\n
If TNI is truly neutral Wiranto would have rejected the offer.<\/p>\n
Q: What are your suggestions to this difficult choice for the
\npresidency?<\/p>\n
A: The elections were dirty from the start. The Election Law is
\nfar from perfect, and the winning party only got some 30 percent,
\nso the MPR members must open the chance for an alternative way
\nand they should not rigidly stick to the rules of the game.<\/p>\n
The presidential seat should go to the winning party (PDI
\nPerjuangan) but the vice president should be someone known for
\nhis integrity like Nurcholish Madjid, even if he did not take
\npart in the elections. I'm just following others who have
\nproposed his name. Actually, we have many good people.<\/p>\n
If Megawati (Soekarnoputri) becomes president people would not
\nbe disappointed. Not that I'm a great fan. I stopped being a
\nsupporter of Megawati when the party played dirty politics, like
\ntheir involvement in the election of a TNI member (as speaker of
\nJakarta city council).<\/p>\n
A nomination of Nurcholish or other such figures is possible
\nnow with at least 70 members or one faction (in MPR).<\/p>\n
This is now the time for the winning party to lobby
\nimmediately for its vice president or we'll be doomed ...<\/p>\n
So our problem is not just how to avoid Habibie but also how
\nto correct Megawati's shortcomings. She has said that the system
\nis not wrong, it's just the people. If she doesn't realize
\nimmediately her mistake, we could be heading back to Guided
\nDemocracy or Soeharto's patrimonial state. (anr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/public-pressure-needed-to-stop-habibie-1447893297",
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