Soeharto, Habibie must be given a chance: Amien<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Moslem leader Amien Rais called on the nation
\nyesterday to give Soeharto and B.J. Habibie a fair chance to end
\nthe economic crisis after they are elected president and vice
\npresident respectively next month.<\/p>\n
Amien, who chairs the 28-million-strong Muhammadiyah
\norganization, urged the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) --
\nwhich elects the president and vice president -- to give them six
\nmonths before passing judgment on what they had achieved.<\/p>\n
Soeharto's renomination for a seventh term in office and
\nHabibie's success in the vice presidential race are a forgone
\nconclusion after all five factions in the Assembly unanimously
\nbacked them.<\/p>\n
\"The Assembly will surely reelect Pak Harto as president, with
\nPak Habibie as vice president. People will certainly accept it
\nand so will I as a democrat,\" Amien, a self-proclaimed
\npresidential candidate told reporters.<\/p>\n
Amien suggested that the next president and vice president
\nshould relinquish their mandate given them by the people through
\nthe Assembly if they fail to mend the battered economy.<\/p>\n
\"Then, we'll figure out the next step to take,\" he said after
\naddressing a fifth anniversary function at the Center for
\nInformation and Development Studies (CIDES).<\/p>\n
Founded on Jan. 25, 1993, CIDES is the think-tank of the
\nAssociation of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals chaired by
\nHabibie, who did not show up yesterday.<\/p>\n
Amien's remarks were an elaboration of the statement he made
\nwhen addressing the function, in which he said: \"... we'll have
\nto find another solution, should they (Soeharto-Habibie) fail to
\nsolve the crisis in six months.\"<\/p>\n
\"This will be their chance for the government to make a good
\nending,\" Amien said to the 800 guests attending the function.<\/p>\n
Also addressing the gathering were CIDES Secretary-General Adi
\nSasono and the vice chairman of the center's advisory board, Lt.
\nGen. (ret) Sayidiman Suryohadiprojo.<\/p>\n
Among the public figures attending yesterday's function were
\nformer Jakarta governor Lt. Gen. (ret) Ali Sadikin, former state
\noil company Pertamina president Lt. Gen. (ret) Ibnu Sutowo,
\nformer state minister of environment Emil Salim, Armed Forces
\nChief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Yunus Yosfiah and his
\nassistant Lt. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.<\/p>\n
Amien warned that failure to overcome the current economic
\nturmoil may result in political upheaval.<\/p>\n
\"So everyone would do well to watch closely what comes after
\nthe General Session. If prices of basic foodstuffs continue to
\nsoar, while people's purchasing power continues to weaken, people
\nwill go hungry and become angry. This could spark an upheaval,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Amien said the least the next government should do was to keep
\nprices of basic foodstuffs, such as rice, and fuel \"as low as
\npossible\".<\/p>\n
When asked if he was pessimistic about the Soeharto-Habibie
\nticket, Amien said: \"I'm neutral. All I want to say is let's give
\nthem a fair chance.<\/p>\n
On his presidency bid, Amien said the chance was \"almost nil\",
\nbut added that he would pursue the goal after the session,
\nreferring to MPR's General Session that lasts from March 1
\nthrough March 11.<\/p>\n
Sayidiman, in his scientific oration Reviewing the National
\nDevelopment Paradigm: The Need for Sustainable Development,
\nunderlined the fact that the current crisis showed that the
\nIndonesian economy was not as strong as the nation had claimed.<\/p>\n
This, he said, was due to the government's inconsistent
\napproach to the economic management principles the New Order
\ngovernment set out at its outset.<\/p>\n
Weaknesses can also be found in human and societal development
\nas well as inadequate attention to political development, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"These manifest themselves in a weak sense of discipline, a
\ndysfunctional legal apparatus, widespread corruption, weak skills
\nand morality, excessive executive power and ineffective
\nsupervision by the legislature.\" he said. (aan)<\/p>",
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