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)