Habibie: Legal means best to solve discord
Habibie: Legal means best to solve discord
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie urged the nation on
Monday to resolve differences nonviolently and according to the
law, warning several political time bombs may surface in the near
future.
"Sure, there is the East Timor issue, the Bank Bali issue.
But, hey, don't be surprised if Bank Bali is not the first. There
may be more issues arising," Habibie said in off-the-cuff remarks
to visiting guests from the Indonesian Muslim Students Movement
(PMII).
"Maybe not this month, maybe not this year, maybe next year.
They will continue to arise.
"But please don't despair, let's thoroughly resolve it using
legal channels," he told his guests from the Indonesian Muslim
Students Movement (PMII).
The crisis in East Timor and the Bank Bali scandal have
intensified the spotlight on Habibie who is running as a
presidential candidate.
The latest salvo of issues to hit the Habibie government was
the passing of the state security bill last week and the handling
of the ensuing protests which, according to police, claimed eight
lives.
Habibie repeatedly stressed the need for peaceful and legal
means to be used to usher in change.
"I really don't understand what they're protesting," he said
of the mass student demonstrations against the bill.
Critics of the bill have claimed that it would give unchecked
power to the president and the military.
Habibie warned that much of the criticism was misplaced and
that scrapping the new bill would mean that its 1959 predecessor
would remain in effect.
"Compared to the new one, the old one is adverse to
democracy."
Earlier during a separate meeting with the Anshor Youth Group,
Habibie asserted that despite strong calls for his resignation he
would not step down until his term officially ends.
He asserted that he won't step down until his tenure is
completed," Anshor Youth chief Syaifullah said.
"He is ready to be held accountable. He said the first and
second president stepped down under a cloud of problems. If he
does that too then it wouldn't be fair to the people," Syaifullah
added. (prb)