Ghalib gains dubious 'Soeharto' honor

JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Andi M. Ghalib has won the "Soeharto Award" after topping a list of anti-reform figures in the country in a student-run opinion poll, the organizers announced on Tuesday.

Ghalib was followed by President B.J. Habibie, who grabbed the second position and Minister of Defense/Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Wiranto, who won third rank in the poll participated in by 2,479 respondents from across the country.

The three figures won the titles as the respondents took part in the May 21 to June 1 poll and placed them as those who deserved the Soeharto Awards for being anti-reformists and the New Order's strong defenders.

According to Ari Wibowo, chairman of the organizers from the University of Indonesia Students' Executive Body said Ghalib came in first place with 797 votes, followed by Habibie with 472 votes and Wiranto with 247 votes.

"Ghalib and Habibie were considered by most respondents as figures who have no spirit to enforce the supremacy of law," Ari told a press conference.

Wiranto's stubbornness to reject demands for the revocation of the military's dual roles led him to win third place, Ari added.

The majority of respondents were private employees and students, according to the results of the poll.

The 2,479 respondents participated in the poll either by phone or by directly filling out forms available with the organizers.

After the award announcement at the university's campus at Salemba, Central Jakarta, the organizers left the site to deliver the awards of the approximately 40-centimeter high trophies adorned with Soeharto's headshot on the top to the winners.

Riding on a bus, 11 of the organizers under the company of several journalists headed to Ghalib's office in South Jakarta.

As the students were about to enter the compound, the office's security guards locked the entrance gate.

After a heated debate with the security staff, the students laid the trophy for Ghalib, who is currently overseas "to hunt" for Soeharto's bank's account, under the iron gate and left the Attorney General's Office for Wiranto's office on Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat in Central Jakarta.

Later in the evening, a security guard at Ghalib's office said the trophy which was left in front of the closed gates by the students, was taken inside the office.

"But I don't know where it is now," he said.

Similar to the scene at Ghalib's office, the students were also barred from entering the Ministry of Defense Office.

After several minutes of arguments, the security personnel led by Capt. Triyono allowed the students to put the trophy for Wiranto on a nearby entrance gate of the building.

In an attempt to directly hand over the award to Habibie at the Presidential office, the students were blocked by scores of security personnel on Jl. Veteran, one block from Habibie's office.

Here, the troops again led by Capt. Triyono, ordered the students to board the bus and leave the site.

A few minutes later, the troops applied force to the students in a bid to get them on the bus.

A source said she saw a student throw the trophy to the security personnel from the bus.

"We admitted to throwing the award at the troops since my friend was so upset over the security personnel's brutal action," Ari Wibowo said last night.

The students then fled the site and returned to Salemba campus. (asa/emf)