Students jubilant, but not satisfied<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Students nationwide rejoiced following
\nSoeharto's resignation yesterday but demanded that B.J. Habibie
\nstep down as president immediately.<\/p>\n
After watching the announcement, televised live at 9 a.m.,
\nthousands of students -- who have taken over the House of
\nRepresentatives building in Central Jakarta since Tuesday -- ran
\nto the compound to join a noisy but peaceful victory march.<\/p>\n
Some of them jumped into the huge fountain in front of the
\nbuilding to express their sheer joy.<\/p>\n
\"First, I could not believe it. The king has finally stepped
\ndown. I never thought that he would give up his crown. Everything
\nmoved so fast,\" Mirinda Panggabean, a Trisakti University
\nstudent, said.<\/p>\n
\"I think he'll still play significant roles even though he's
\nnot president anymore,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Student leader from the University of Indonesia Ikravany
\nHilman said he planned to call on his peers to push forward with
\nthe reform movement.<\/p>\n
\"For us, this is just the beginning. We won't stop until a
\njust and clean government is formed. We'll never tire of pursuing
\nour goals,\" Ikravany said.<\/p>\n
Most of the university students, who came from various cities,
\ninsisted that Soeharto's resignation and the abrupt appointment
\nof Habibie as president was not enough for them.<\/p>\n
They even pledged to stay at the House until the right person
\ncould be elected as president.<\/p>\n
\"If we return home, we would not be allowed to enter this
\ncomplex anymore,\" Bina Sarana Informatika student Abdul Munir
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"We reject Habibie. We want Soeharto's regime to be purged
\nfrom this nation.\"<\/p>\n
Cahya, a student of Jakarta Economics Academy, said the
\nstudents occupying the House would not accept President Habibie.<\/p>\n
\"He can't rule the country as Soeharto is still behind him,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Wisnu Adinugroho, an alumni from the School of Architecture of
\nMercu Buana University, said the nation's new president would not
\nsolve the problem.<\/p>\n
\"Many people still consider him one of Soeharto's people and
\nhe does not represent all social and political classes,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Tumpak Sitorus of the National Science and Technology
\nInstitute said the hasty appointment of Habibie by Soeharto had
\nalready been predicted by the students.<\/p>\n
\"By doing so, Soeharto will be saved because the new president
\nis still one of his people. That is what we really don't want,\"
\nTumpak, who claimed he was rally coordinator for the institute,
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
According to Tumpak, he would not even support political
\nfigures such as Amien Rais and Emil Salim.<\/p>\n
\"We just need an independent committee, whose members include
\nthose from the National Commission on Human Rights, which will
\nlater take control and elect a new president and vice president
\nthrough a peaceful People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
\nextraordinary session.\"<\/p>\n
Like most student groups, the Association of Catholic Students
\n(PMKRI) still demanded the Assembly immediately hold an
\nextraordinary session to determine Soeharto's accountability.<\/p>\n
Some students also doubted the resignation of Soeharto, who
\nhas been in power since 1966, and the appointment of Habibie, a
\ncivilian with a close relationship with his predecessor.<\/p>\n
\"It's still a great mystery for us,\" Simon Siregar of Mustopo
\nUniversity said.<\/p>\n
In a related development, executives of Communication Forum of
\nStudents, Alumni and Lecturers of a private business academy
\n(STIE\/STIMIK Perbanas) rejected Soeharto's announcement of
\nresignation and insisted the appointment of Habibie was illegal.<\/p>\n
They said Habibie's swearing-in was against Article 9 of the
\n1945 Constitution which stipulates that the oath should be
\nperformed in a People's Consultative Assembly\/House of
\nRepresentative session.<\/p>\n
United Indonesian Moslem Students Action (KAMMI) reiterated
\nthat students would not relinquish their demands for a clean,
\nfair and responsive government.<\/p>\n
\"We just want to see whether the new government can be fair,
\nclean and not arrogant,\" the group's chairman Fahmi Hamzah said.<\/p>\n
Some students adopted a wait-and-see approach to the new
\npresident.<\/p>\n
\"We should give Habibie a chance. Let him prove that he can
\nsolve the problems of the country. We should not judge him before
\ngiving him a chance,\" chairman of the Association of Moslem
\nStudents (HMI) Anas Urbaningrum said.<\/p>\n
Indonesian students overseas also expressed their delight that
\nSoeharto had stepped down.<\/p>\n
\"I'm relieved with the news that Soeharto has left his job,\"
\nAbdul Rahim Adam, chairman of the 2,500-strong Indonesian
\nStudents Association in Cairo, said.<\/p>\n
His colleague, Hendri Rizalhadi, said: \"(Soeharto's
\nresignation) is very positive.<\/p>\n
The students refused to join a meeting between then president
\nSoeharto and the Indonesian society in Cairo last week.<\/p>\n
Unlike their peers, Corps of the Indonesian Alumni Moslem
\nStudents Association (KAHMI) expressed their support for Habibie.<\/p>\n
\"Pak Habibie is the country's best son for the presidential
\npost,\" Ismed Abdullah, a member of KAHMI presidium, told
\nreporters yesterday. (emf\/bsr\/edt\/jun\/ivy)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/students-jubilant-but-not-satisfied-1447893297",
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