Habibie not to attend NAM summit

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie has decided not to attend the 12th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) starting next Wednesday in Durban, South Africa, to avoid a power vacuum, a minister announced yesterday.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said he was ordered by the President to represent him during the summit, and that he would convey Habibie's apology to South African President Nelson Mandela for his absence.

"It is technically very difficult for him (Habibie) to leave the country because there is no vice president," Alatas said after meeting with Habibie at Merdeka Palace.

Sources said the President was initially very eager to attend the two-day summit because of Indonesia's outstanding role in the 113-member strong movement.

It would also have been the President's first international debut since he replaced Soeharto in May.

"An overseas trip would cause a power vacuum here, and he also realizes domestic problems are much more urgent," a palace official said yesterday.

Habibie was vice president from March until Soeharto resigned on May 21. Since then, the vice presidential post has remained vacant.

Indonesia hosted the 10th NAM summit in Jakarta in September 1992 and chaired the movement until 1995 when it was replaced by Colombia.

At that time, Soeharto proudly invited other developing countries to send their officials here to study Indonesia's success in developing its economy.

Currently, Indonesia's foreign debt stands at no less than US$130 billion. It is seeking to freeze its principal debt repayments due to a severe economic crisis.

Despite Habibie's absence, the government plans to submit several major proposals at the summit, including an idea to set up a special NAM mission to participate in the Middle East peace process, Alatas noted.

The proposal calls for a ministerial level team, chaired by South Africa, to approach key countries, including the U.S., Russia, Lebanon and Syria, to help solve problems between Israel and its Arab neighbors, especially the Palestinian Authority.

"NAM must be more active in the Middle East peace process, which is now stalled by Israeli arrogance," Alatas remarked.

Indonesia will also suggest the summit convene a special conference on international cooperation in monetary and financial affairs since Asia's economic crisis could spread to other continents without a joint effort to resolve it.

"We hope that our proposal will be approved by the international community," Alatas said. (prb)