Habibie fever overwhelms Parepare locals

By Jupriadi

PAREPARE, South Sulawesi: With the presidential election imminent, the small town of Parepare is at the height of Habibie fever.

Nowhere else in the archipelago could you find 10,400 of the staunchest supporters of President B.J. Habibie.

It is not difficult to see why, as reminders of Habibie are prevalent in the president's birthplace.

Habibie is the talk of the town and idol of local youths.

A childhood friend, a student and a becak (pedicab) driver all have nothing but praise for the country's third president.

Sixty-eight-year-old La Cabu was Habibie's childhood playmate. Now skinny and a little frail, the retired civil police officer becomes high-spirited when talking about his longtime friend La Rudy, Habibie's pet name.

"I pray that Habibie will be reelected president," he frankly admitted, adding that he was proud of his old playmate, whom he often teased in the front yard of his house dozens of years ago.

"I'm proud of La Rudy. He is indeed a smart boy," he remarked.

La Cabu is typical of most Parepare residents who have remained proud of the province's best son.

Parepare people are well aware that Habibie is mocked daily in other parts of the country.

"I don't know why. But the more he is condemned, the more people adore him here," 27-year-old Arung Abubakar said.

It is likely that people here do not have the heart to see a local scorned like that, the local youth figure said.

"What's wrong with us supporting him? An American presidential candidate gets most of his support from his hometown. It's natural here as there is a tight kinship," 25-year-old Muhammad Ali, a student at Hasanuddin University, said.

Habibie spent 13 years of his life in the town before he and his family moved to Bandung, West Java.

A pedicab driver, 36-year-old Daeng Baco, said he and a neighbor had bet over who would win the presidential race, with Daeng backing Habibie.

"If Habibie is elected president, my neighbor will buy me a dangdut cassette," Daeng said proudly.

Support for Habibie is flourishing here, and it is not because he is the province's best son but more because he really cares about the locals.

"I know that people in Java dislike him as he is target of denunciation there, but we will keep supporting him. Anyway it's just politics," Daeng said convincingly.

Politics is blamed for the spreading dislike of Habibie.

Muslim leader Kyai Haji Muhammad Saleh said he prayed for Habibie day and night.

"I believe if he is elected president again, he'll be a good religious leader. Even if people don't like him, I still trust him. That's politics," the local religious figure said.

Habibie's appearance on television is widely anticipated by Parepare residents.

When he delivered his accountability speech before the 700 members of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on Oct. 14, the streets of Parepare were deserted and people were glued to their televisions, watching the speech that marked the end of Habibie's first term in office.

"All residents were inside their homes watching Habibie deliver his report. Some stayed awake until late," Halim Da Manik said.

It remains to be seen whether Parepare will echo with euphoria after the presidential election, or whether sadness will descend on the town.