I'm no president: Bambang

I'm no president: Bambang

JAKARTA (JP): If you can't get to the father, try the son.

That may have been the motive of reporters when they flocked
around President Soeharto's second eldest son Bambang Trihatmodjo
after his father's accountability speech yesterday.

Despite the barrage of questions leveled at him, Bambang
managed to remain aloof when asked to comment on his father's
speech.

"(The speech) was realistic, open and unpretentious," he was
quoted by Antara as responding to one question. He refused many
other questions, simply saying he did not know.

Another reporter, using one of Soeharto's favorite quotes,
asked whether there were really people "fishing in murky waters"
during the monetary crisis.

Nonchalantly Bambang said: "You should know more about that
than me."

But when asked whether the President would drastically pare
down his cabinet to 15 ministers, Bambang firmly replied to the
quote-hungry reporters.

"I don't know! I'm not the president." (das)