Habibie fever overwhelms Parepare locals

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.