ICMI jump onto anti-Soeharto bandwagon

JAKARTA (JP): The Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI) jumped on the bandwagon of criticism yesterday as it denounced its own patron, former president Soeharto, for establishing a brittle state system which shunned public participation.

The results of a three-day ICMI national coordinating meeting which were announced yesterday slammed the Soeharto administration, saying it created an apathetic and faltering society due to restrictive measures and lack of political communication.

"The policies of the New Order government under Bapak Soeharto did not involve people's participation," said Achmad Zaki Siradj, chairman of meeting's organizing committee, while reading out the results of the meeting.

He added that years of authoritarianism and political arrogance had instilled a sense of fear, thus stemming the people's ability to freely express their will.

Also present at the announcement of the results of the meeting were executive chairman Achmad Tirtosudiro, deputy secretary- general's Jimly Asshidiqie and Nasir Tamara.

With Habibie, who chaired ICMI since its inception in Malang, East Java, in 1990, at the helm, the association has gone from strength to strength.

At one stage, ICMI was considered to have so much clout that it was able to influence the recruitment of Cabinet ministers.

Up until the past three months it was recognized as a dedicated grouping loyal to Soeharto, with advisory and executive boards comprised of top government officials.

With Soeharto as its patron, members were kept on a short leash. One example is when the head of ICMI's Council of Experts, Amien Rais, was forced to resign from his post last year due to his criticism of Soeharto.

Amien over the weekend was reinstated in his ICMI post.

Less than two weeks prior to Soeharto's eventual resignation, at a time when the reform movement peaked, ICMI showed signs of breaking ranks when executive chairman Achmad Tirtosudiro and secretary-general Adi Sasono called for an extraordinary session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) and a Cabinet reshuffle.

However Habibie, who at the time was still vice president, came to Soeharto's defense, saying the statement was made in a personal capacity and did not reflect ICMI's position.

Habibie asserted that the association did not discuss or put political issues on its agenda.

Neglect

In its statement yesterday, it continually laid the blame of the nation's woes on Soeharto's New Order government, but neglected to mention the fact that Habibie was a confidant of the former president and a Cabinet minister since 1978.

In lamenting the "state of mind" produced by the Soeharto era, ICMI said that even though the New Order government was gone, the people were so conditioned that they lacked the ability to improvise to develop a new democratic political paradigm.

In the economic field, ICMI said the New Order had only created disparity and social jealousy.

The nation's economic resources, which should have been used for the greater benefit of the people, were merely exploited for an elite few, the association said.

In the legal field, the New Order also interfered and bent the law for its own purposes, ICMI said, adding that the social outrage and looting currently occurring were a manifestation of the long-felt frustration over injustices.

Speaking to journalists over ICMI's continued ties with Habibie, executive chairman Achmad claimed that ICMI was not urging Habibie to continue as president after next year's elections.

"ICMI considers Habibie (as president) now until 1999," he said as quoted by Antara.

"ICMI will support Habibie if the people nominate him during the General Session of the MPR in 1999".