Amien calls for end to political wrangles

Amien calls for end to political wrangles

JAKARTA (JP): Moslem leader Amien Rais has spoken out against
allowing sharp political wranglings to drag on and has called on
the nation to take concrete steps to repair its economy, which
was now on the brink of bankruptcy.

Amien also appealed for a stop to debates on the legitimacy of
President B.J. Habibie's appointment and for a chance for the new
government to function normally to take steps to restore the
economy. In an address at a gathering yesterday of 10,000
students from many Indonesian cities held at the Bogor Institute
of Agriculture in Bogor, West Java, Amien reiterated his
conviction that the administration was transitional in nature and
that a general election should be held soon to replace it.

Amien's wish for a general election was echoed by Lt. Gen.
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the Armed Forces (ABRI) chief of
Sociopolitical Affairs, who said in Purworejo, Central Java, that
the military was of the stance that the sooner the elections
could be held, the better.

He was quoted by Antara as saying that the poll, however,
should be prepared well, so it could proceed with as few glitches
as possible.

"ABRI is conducting a study and is of the opinion it would be
better if the poll was held sooner. But it should, really, be
well prepared so no new problems emerge," said Susilo after
paying his respects at the grave of Lt. Gen. Sarwo Edhi Wibowo,
the late commander of the Army's special force RPKAD (now
Kopassus).

Susilo also reminded the public that before the poll could
take place, the existing laws that govern a general election
should first be amended as they recognize only three contestants.
They are Golkar, the United Development Party and the Indonesian
Democratic Party.

"Elections should be held as soon as possible but bear in mind
whether six months would be enough time to change the laws,
especially if there are new parties emerging," he said.

Amien, who was accompanied to the gathering by economist
Faisal Basri and Minister of Food, Drugs and Agriculture A.M.
Saefuddin, said: "The administration, even though it is a
transitional one, still needs both domestic and international
support in order to be able to carry out programs to cope with
the crisis."

"It would not be fair to attribute all the economic problems
to the post-Soeharto administration as many of the difficulties
are a legacy of the previous government," he said, reported
Antara.

"What would be fair, in order to set the economic wheels
moving again in the shortest possible time, is giving an
opportunity and support for economic-restoration programs," he
said.

This stance does not mean the campaign for better order in the
political, legal and constitutional system should stop, he added.

"State policies, including in the economy, are, after all, the
final results of an interaction of various interest groups,
political forces, the business circle as well as the bureaucracy,
which all operate in a certain legal-constitutional order," he
said.

Forgiveness

In another part of his address, Amien called on Indonesians to
"forgive" former president Soeharto, to give the latter peace of
mind now that he has stepped down. On one condition: Soeharto
should donate to the nation any of his wealth which might have
been amassed illegally.

"Even though there were so many negative sides to his
administration, it's undeniable that he has done the country a
great service during his 32-year rule," Amien said in answer to a
student's question.

Amien had made the same call earlier this month while
asserting that Soeharto's children, however, did not merit the
same compassion and that they should face punishment should the
court find them guilty of any crimes, including corruption,
collusion and nepotism.

Amien called on the former president to voluntarily donate his
wealth -- and live on 5 percent of the total -- so the country no
longer had to "beg" for assistance from donor agencies, such as
the International Monetary Fund. A foreign media once estimated
Soeharto's and his family's fortune worths US$40 billion.

"If he could do that, then Insya Allah (God willing), maybe
the Indonesian people could find it in their hearts to pardon
him," said Amien, who, on Saturday, called for a ban on the
former president and his family from traveling abroad.

Separately, a lesser-known politician, Zakiruddin Djamin of
the National Unity Savior Institute, suggested yesterday that
Habibie should personally approach Soeharto and urge him to
donate his wealth to help the country rebuild its economy.

"Habibie should remind Soeharto of the promise he once made
that he was willing to sacrifice his life, let alone his
belongings, for the nation," Djamin said, reported Antara. (swe)