Habibie, Harmoko lack sense of crisis: Emil

Habibie, Harmoko lack sense of crisis: Emil

JAKARTA (JP): Leading opposition figure Emil Salim said
yesterday the intention of President B.J. Habibie and House
Speaker Harmoko to call a general election for next year showed
they were insensitive to realities of the country's crisis.

"They have failed to show a sense of crisis," Emil said in a
discussion held at the Atma Jaya University. The time set by
Habibie's government for the poll, despite public clamoring for
an earlier date, merely prolonged the uncertainty which had
gripped the country since the resignation of president Soeharto,
he added.

"Habibie has said his government is transitional in nature,
that means it must be brief. It must not exist too long since the
market is wondering when the government which is not transitional
will come," Emil told about 150 participants of the discussion.

"But, unfortunately, my friends (Habibie and Harmoko) don't
understand that it's a crisis."

Emil called for a general election to be held in December this
year, and for a general session of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) to elect a president and vice president in
February next year.

Habibie's government, whose legitimacy is still doubted by
many, has kept the market teetering, Emil said, reflected by the
rupiah's exchange rate against the U.S. dollar which still
lingered above 10,000.

"The market has yet to see any sign of certainty from the
government," according to Emil. He believed the rupiah's weak
exchange rate was now due to a political, not economic, crisis.

Emil's view was shared by former transmigration minister
Siswono Yudohusodo, who spoke at a separate discussion on reforms
and business at the Prasetya Mulya Management Institute here
yesterday.

Siswono said Habibie's government should realize how critical
the situation was, and take action accordingly, including by
holding the general election.

Siswono said too much time had been wasted since the economic
crisis began to hit the country in June last year.

"(Now) it's not the question of whether or not you agree with
Habibie, or whether or not you like Habibie," he said.

Siswono described how difficult it was for Habibie's
government to get the full support of the people, but the
national predicament could not be overcome without this backing.

"When people no longer trust their government, they would be
vulnerable to rumors that could easily lead them to rush banks
and purchase foreign exchange in large quantities," he said.

Just like Thailand and South Korea, he said, Indonesia now
needed a new government with legitimacy, "one that people can
trust to cope with the crisis".

Emil suggested that Habibie work to win people's trust by
establishing an independent election team comprising
representatives from political parties that would contest the
elections, as well as from non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Emil said he, together with other opposition figures such as
Moslem leaders Amien Rais and Abdurrahman Wahid, had given
Habibie six months to prepare the elections.

"Don't use people's suffering as an excuse for politicking. I,
Amien Rais and Gus Dur have agreed to give Habibie six months,
not until the end of 1999," Emil told journalists after the Atma
Jaya discussion.

Emil reiterated that changing the current political laws on
political parties, elections and the structure and position of
the People's Consultative Assembly and the House of
Representatives could be completed by the end of this month.

He said Habibie could use his extra presidential power allowed
by No. 5/1998 MPR decree to change the laws if necessary. (aan)