Habibie given 40 days to end crisis

Habibie given 40 days to end crisis

BANDUNG (JP): President B.J. Habibie has only 40 more days
left to bring an end to the economic crisis, according to a
gathering of civilians and retired military officials.

"It has been our pledge to topple Habibie if the deadline
passes. We will face all the risks together," Koen Soekarno, the
chairman of the group calling itself the Coordination of Reform
Potential in Java, said on Friday.

Those in attendance included National Front chairman Lt. Gen.
(ret) Achmad Kemal Idris, government critic Lt. Gen. (ret) Ali
Sadikin, former minister of mines and energy Soebroto and legal
expert Dimyati Hartono.

"It's the people's power which would bring Habibie down," Koen
said. The 40-day countdown starts from the time of the
announcement.

Koen said the Armed Forces (ABRI) should then decide whether
it would support the people or the ruling government.

"And we (the people's power) will not hesitate to place
ourselves face-to-face with ABRI if we have to," he said.

The meeting's participants, who came from Jakarta, Yogyakarta
and West and East Java, agreed that the crisis demanded solid
national leadership. "If necessary, a people's committee or
people's presidium could be established," Koen said.

He said the committee's main duties were to urge people to
join the reform movement and establish a new cabinet, which would
settle all existing economic, political and legal problems.

"The committee must also decide on proposals to move the
general election ahead of the date announced by the government
and to remove the special session of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) from the agenda," he said, adding the special
session would only stall elections.

The government has scheduled the next general election for May
next year, while the Assembly's special session is to be held
this November.

Koen said university students would be mobilized to seize
control of strategic places, including the House of
Representatives (DPR), provincial legislative council buildings,
gubernatorial offices and the Presidential Palace.

"The commencement of the people's power movement will start on
Oct. 5, the same day as ABRI's 53rd anniversary," he said.
(43/imn)