Emil congratulates new Presidnet and Vice President

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)