Habibie to leave for Vietnam for ASEAN three-day summit

Habibie to leave for Vietnam for ASEAN three-day summit

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie will leave for Vietnam on
Monday to attend the three day-summit of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Hanoi, Minister/State
Secretary Akbar Tandjung announced on Saturday.

Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander
Gen. Wiranto is to accompany the President.

"During (Habibie's) stay in Hanoi, all problems relating to
security and the political situation in Indonesia will be handled
by the coordinating minister for political affairs and security
(Feisal Tanjung)," Akbar said, adding that the President
considered the country "very safe."

Akbar said the President would spend two nights in Vietnam,
but could return at anytime if his presence was needed in
Indonesia. "Therefore, apart from the official presidential plane
for the delegation, another aircraft is also being provided for
if the President needs to come back to Indonesia," Akbar said
after accompanying Habibie at a ceremony to mark the 61st
anniversary of the country's official news agency Antara.

The President has repeatedly said that he cannot spend a night
outside Jakarta as the country did not have a vice president, as
required by law. The position has been vacant since Habibie, the
last vice-president under Soeharto, became president in May.

The same reason was cited when he canceled his working visit
to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, two months ago.

Habibie, however, spent one night in Kuala Lumpur last month
when he attended the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
summit. He was also accompanied by Wiranto on that occasion.

Akbar, also chairman of the ruling Golkar, said the President
asked Wiranto to accompany him because, as ABRI's supreme
commander, he might need Wiranto's advice at any time.

"During important foreign trips, he needs to go along with the
ABRI commander, although the substance of the summit may not be
directly related to his (Wiranto's) position," Akbar said.

According to the People's Consultative Assembly decree No.
VII/1973, during the "permanent absence" of both the president
and vice president, the country's leadership is jointly held by
the minister of foreign affairs, minister of home affairs and
minister of defense.

Gus Dur

In the morning, Wiranto, Akbar and Minister of Justice Muladi
accompanied Habibie in receiving Abdurrahman Wahid, the chairman
of the country's largest Moslem organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, at
Habibie's residence in Kuningan, South Jakarta.

During the two-hour meeting, the President briefed
Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, on the schedule for the
general election on June 7, and the presidential election on Nov.
10. Akbar said that in principle Gus Dur, a signatory of the
recent Ciganjur declaration with three other national figures,
supported the plan.

According to Akbar, Gus Dur told the President it was
important that people of different ethnic, racial and religious
backgrounds, could feel at home in their own country.

The President assured him that he would protect all citizens
regardless of their background.

Regarding Gus Dur's idea of a national dialog, Akbar said the
meeting could be considered part of such a dialog. Gus Dur
agreed, he said, that a "national dialog" need not involve a
physical meeting.

Habibie told Gus Dur that he was always ready to meet with
other prominent figures, including his opponents.

"I received many lessons from this meeting," Gus Dur said
after the meeting. "The meeting could abolish previous
prejudices," Muladi remarked without further elaboration.

Habibie also touched on the East Timor issue, saying it was
impossible for the province to be independent of Indonesia.

"Indonesia can exist without East Timor, but East Timor cannot
exist without Indonesia," Gus Dur quoted Habibie as saying. (prb)