Calls for Soeharto's resignation mount

Calls for Soeharto's resignation mount

JAKARTA (JP): People are getting bolder in their calls for
President Soeharto to resign and allow the country to begin fresh
efforts to shake off the economic crisis.

More intellectuals have sided with the student movement which
has been spearheading demands for his resignation since February
through almost daily demonstrations. Yesterday, Moslem scholars
Nurcholish Madjid and Emha Ainun Nadjib called on President
Soeharto to declare his readiness to resign in a peaceful and
constitutional manner during a media conference.

The call was also voiced last week by new alliances of
intellectuals and government critics called the Majelis Amanah
Rakyat (Council of People's Mandate, MAR), and the Forum Kerja
Indonesia (Indonesia Working Forum, FKI).

However, unlike the previous groups, Nurcholish and Emha
proposed a series of steps that should be taken so that Soeharto
can step down gracefully, without repercussions for the nation.

"Pak Harto should first speak before the people, ideally in an
extraordinary session of the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR), where he should confirm that he himself will lead a total
correction of various deviations," Nurcholish said.

Soeharto must also apologize for the severe economic and
monetary crisis and "end...political decisions that have caused
collusion, corruption, cronyism, and nepotism", Nurcholish said.

The scholars also said Soeharto should rid the cabinet of
ministers opposed to reform and replace them with pro-reform
figures who enjoy the sympathy of the people.

In the address, Soeharto should also declare his readiness to
resign, Nurcholish said, and "ask the people and the Armed Forces
to restore the national economy and launch sweeping social and
political reform to guide the nation into the third millennium."

Personal wealth

"In order to start all that, the President and his family
(should) surrender their personal wealth to the state and the
country," Nurcholish said.

The two scholars recommended that general elections be held by
Jan. 10, 2000, and a presidential election by March 11 of the
same year.

Among other organizations which have recently called for
Soeharto's resignation are the Coordination of Moslem
Communities, a grouping of influential Islamic organizations such
as ICMI, KISDI and Forum Ukhuwah Islamiyah; a group of 1,300
lecturers and professors from Bandung Institute of Technology and
Padjadjaran University; lecturers and students from University of
Indonesia; and the Indonesian Christian Participation (Parkindo).

"If he understood what's really good for the nation, he would
resign," said Achmad Tirtosudiro from ICMI (the Association of
Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals)) at a tabligh akbar (grand
prayer gathering) of 5,000 Moslems at Al-Azhar Grand Mosque on
Saturday.

The event was also attended by leaders of KISDI (Indonesian
Committee for World Moslem Solidarity). This signifies a
convergence of these Islamic organizations because previously
ICMI and KISDI often adopted a different stance on many issues.

In Bandung, 1,296 lecturers and professors said they no longer
wanted Soeharto at the nation's helm. "We no longer trust the
leadership of Supreme Commander (ret) Haj Muhammad Soeharto,"
they said in a statement, a copy of which was obtained by The
Jakarta Post on Saturday.

"We urge President Soeharto to resign and return the mandate
of the People's Consultative Assembly. We call on graduates of
Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) who are in the cabinet to
resign," they said.

ITB graduates in the cabinet include Coordinating Minister for
Economy, Finance and Industry Ginandjar Kartasasmita,
Coordinating Minister for Development Supervision and State
Administrative Reforms Hartarto Sostrosoenarto, and Minister of
Communications Giri Suseno.

The ITB faculty agreed to pass the statement to the government
as the official stance of the institute, joining their colleagues
from University of Indonesia who stated on Thursday that demands
for reform could no longer be checked, so Soeharto should resign
immediately.

Also yesterday, the Indonesian Students Association in the
United States issued a statement calling on President Soeharto to
return his mandate to the People's Consultative Assembly.
(swe/rms)