Habibie is news to some in his hometown area
Habibie is news to some in his hometown area
JAKARTA (JP): B.J. Habibie's name may be on everybody's lips
these days as the hot candidate for vice president, but in parts
of his home province of South Sulawesi, many do not even know he
has been nominated for the position.
"We didn't know because in our village and several others
where Habibie lived with his father, there aren't any radios or
TVs," said Mrs. Rusmiati, a Nepo village resident.
The 25-year-old housewife told Antara in the South Sulawesi
village that they knew of the vice presidential prospects for
Habibie only after journalists asked them to comment on the
issue.
"Nepo residents pray to God in hope that the president and
vice president can help restore the battered economy and lower
the high prices of basic commodities," she said.
Nepo is located south of Parepare, the birthplace of the
outgoing state minister of research and technology.
In the small village, a mosque was built in 1994 and given the
name Nur Habibie.
Born in 1936, Habibie is one of the province's best known
sons.
In Parepare, a town of 100,000, Habibie's name has been a
proud subject of discussion in almost every corner.
"We're confident this duet (of Soeharto and Habibie) can help
Indonesia through the crisis," said rice merchant Hasyim Teyeb.
He said that since hearing news of Habibie's possible
nomination, many have been praying that he and President Soeharto
continue to stay healthy.
Germany
In Bonn, Indonesian Ambassador to Germany Izhar Ibrahim said
the election of Habibie as vice president would boost the already
good ties between Indonesia and Germany.
He was quoted by Antara as saying that relations between the
countries were good, but could not yet be categorized as very
good.
He further pointed out that Habibie's nomination had also
sparked some debate in Germany.
"The debate, some for and against, may be under a backdrop of
particular institutional or group interests. But generally the
German public is responding positively," Izhar said.
Habibie received his post-graduate education in Germany and
also rose through the ranks to become a deputy president director
at German manufacturing company Messershmitt Moelkow Blohm.
He returned to Indonesia in 1974 and served as a technical
consultant to the state-owned oil company Pertamina.
Habibie was appointed state minister of research and
technology in 1978. (mds)