ICMI asserts support for Habibie's govt

YOGYAKARTA (JP): The Association of Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI) closed its annual conference here late Sunday with an assertion of its support for the government of President B.J. Habibie, and a decision to scrap its board of patrons that was formed under former president Soeharto.

ICMI called on the nation to accept the results of the recent Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly and allow the government to organize and execute next year's elections.

ICMI's "Yogya Appeal" was conveyed in a media conference attended by acting chairman Ahmad Tirtosudiro and executives Jimly Assidiqie, Muslimin Nasution, Parni Hadi and others.

Ahmad also revealed that the board of patrons under former president Soeharto still exists, but has been declared unoperational. "We have decided to do away with the board of patrons in the congress in 2000, which could be set for an earlier date if possible," Ahmad said.

ICMI's support for its founder and former chairman Habibie came with some reservations. Expert board member Dawam Rahardjo said that in his opinion Habibie's chance to be president for a second term lay in his ability to handle the economic recovery, investigate Soeharto and conduct next year's elections.

Habibie had a chance to fulfill the first and last of these tasks, Dawam said. "But it is almost impossible that Habibie will thoroughly investigate Soeharto because of their father-son relationship," Dawam said. "Of course Habibie would be burdened a feeling of being immoral if he brought Soeharto to trial."

Habibie would also face the Armed Forces (ABRI) which would not likely agree to bring its former highest commander to trial. Habibie, he said, needed to guard his relationship with ABRI. His inability to investigate Soeharto and bring him to trial, he said, "would end his political career" and finish his chance to be president again "because his legitimacy would be ruined." Investigation into Soeharto should include his "political sins," Dawam said.

Meanwhile Ahmad said that the much debated results of the Special Session which ended Nov. 13, had accommodated most aspirations. Among other things, the decrees adopted touched on the investigation of former president Soeharto. And according to the decree, Habibie issued an order that the investigation be conducted immediately.

"We are of the view that movements rejecting the session actually want to tear up... the state of law, and lead to treason," Ahmad said. Several senior politicians reiterating some student groups' calls for a national presidium have been charged with treason. "Attitudes to reject the session and its decrees are anti-democracy and anti-reform," Ahmad said.

He also said that ICMI would support whatever results the ongoing deliberations on political laws at the House of Representatives produced.

Ahmad added the gathering had reasserted ICMI's role, based on its mission and vision first declared when it was founded in 1995, "as an organization working to improve the development of human resources." He repeated denials to charges by critics that ICMI has become a political vehicle, saying that officials like the President, who happened to be ICMI members, were selected because of their ability.

The around 300 participants also pledged that they would not tolerate practices of corruption, collusion and nepotism. Members involved in such practices will face punishments, Ahmad said.

Earlier, Jimly, a Habibie advisor, told The Jakarta Post that ICMI would "widen its network, so it would be an organization friendly to all the nation's potentials."

Members were expected to be able to build "a new vision toward a civil society," he said, adding that conceptual contributions were expected of ICMI, "not the mobilization of crowds". (44/swa/anr)