Emil congratulates new Presidnet and Vice President

JAKARTA (JP): Senior economist Emil Salim proved he was a graceful loser yesterday, bowing out of the election arena by sending a congratulatory message to B.J. Habibie whom the People's Consultative Assembly chose ahead of him as the new vice president.

Emil, who was named as a vice presidential candidate by more than 10,000 people, told a media briefing last night that he wrote letters to President Soeharto and Habibie congratulating them on their election victories.

"Allow me to respectfully congratulate you on (your) reelection by the People's Consultative Assembly as 1998/2003 president, with the hope that Allah will grant you health and wisdom (so that you will be able) to govern the country in the shiratal mustaqiem (straight way)," Emil quoted his own letter to Soeharto.

In his letter to Habibie, Emil also expressed his hope that Allah would grant Ainun Besari -- Habibie's wife -- both physical and spiritual strength so she could be a source of inspiration for her husband as he carries out his new duties.

Emil sent two other letters yesterday, to the members of the Assembly and to his supporters who called themselves Gema Madani. The group, whose name means the Echo of Civil Society, consists of dozens of well-known academics, non-governmental organization activists and other public figures.

Emil called on the two groups to take part in the campaign for, among other things, legal, economic and political reform. He also called on them to participate in the creation of a civil society, which did not discriminate against anyone, and in the enhancement of the nation's ability to face the era of global competition.

During the first few days of the 11-day MPR General Session, Gema Madani urged Golkar legislators to consider Emil for the post of vice president, claiming to have collected more than 10,000 signatures supporting their candidate's nomination.

They said the supporters of the nomination came from myriad socioeconomic, political and educational backgrounds and ranged from housewives to Emil's former cabinet colleagues.

The group finally found it impossible to continue its campaign after the dominant Assembly faction, and the four other factions, closed the door on all candidates other than Habibie.

"That shows that MPR members are not yet capable of accepting something beyond what they have previously discussed. This is what we should correct in the future," Emil said, adding that correcting this would show that the Assembly upheld democracy.

Emil also called on people throughout the country to join forces with him to strive to improve the nation's life.

Among the prominent Gema Madani figures present at the briefing were psychology professor Saparinah Sadli; owner of the Merdeka daily Herawati Diah; the chairwoman of the Indonesian Consumers Federation, Tini Hadad; National Commission on Human Rights member Albert Hasibuan and social observer Ismid Hadad. (swa)