Government won't change political system: Soeharto

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto yesterday reiterated that the government will not change the political system, as some people have demanded, to "suit their personal interests".

Opening the sixth congress of Pemuda Pancasila, a politically well-connected youth organization, Soeharto said here yesterday that the current political system has proven effective to support the achievement of the nation's ideals for a prosperous Indonesia.

"We will not change a system which has proven effective, let alone if the wishes are only to serve the interests of a few people," he told a massive gathering of activists clad in the organization's uniform of orange, red and black. Every so often, the thousands of youths gathered in the Senayan Sports Stadium applauded Soeharto's speech.

Soeharto ended his speech by raising his fist and shouting "Pancasila!", to which the youths responded with the same enthusiastic yell.

Soeharto was accompanied by State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman, Jakarta Governor Surjadi Soedirdja and a number of other cabinet ministers, including Minister of Information Harmoko, who is also chairman of the ruling Golkar.

Support

In his speech, Pemuda Pancasila chairman Yapto S. Suryosumarno said the organization has decided "to channel its members' political aspirations through Golkar".

Pemuda Pancasila, whose name is derived from the Pancasila state ideology, is but one among a number of organizations which have openly pledged support for Golkar. Other youth groups, such as Gakari, have also pledged loyalty to Golkar in the 1997 general elections.

Pemuda Pancasila's five-day congress will take place at the Pondok Gede Haj dormitory in East Jakarta.

Soeharto asked the youths last night to help prepare Indonesia for fiercer global competition in economics, finance, trade, management, science and technology.

Indonesian youths should best prepare themselves for healthy rivalry in almost all areas of life with youths in other countries, Soeharto said.

"If our youths fail to win the competition, there won't be a more effective weapon or street rally which will be able to save the nation," Soeharto said.

The major challenge that youths nowadays have to face is no longer the independence wars which the youths of the 1945 generation had to endure, Soeharto said.

Indonesia will begin to step into the liberal trade era in 2002 when the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) becomes a free trade area for its seven members.

Indonesia is a member of the 18-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum which will fully liberalize their trade in the year 2020. (pan)