Muslim group denies supporting Habibie

Muslim group denies supporting Habibie

JAKARTA (JP): A spokesman for the Front for the Defense of
Islam (FPI) denied on Monday that the group supported B.J.
Habibie for the presidency, which was reported by state-run
television station TVRI on Sunday.

FPI demanded that TVRI issue a retraction on its 7 p.m. and 9
p.m. news broadcasts on Monday, Mizbah Anam told The Jakarta
Post.

He said the station mistakenly considered the rally a show of
support for Habibie's renomination.

"We never supported Habibie for president, we do not have any
political motivation for yesterday's rally," Mizbah said in a
telephone interview.

He attributed the misunderstanding to the participation of the
Ka'bah Youth Movement (GPK), whose members latched onto the rally
and shouted support for Habibie.

FPI will support whoever becomes the country's next president
as long as the person is elected constitutionally, Mizbah said.
The front is threatening to file suit against GPK and will send a
protest letter to its founder, the Muslim-based United
Development Party.

Thousands of FPI members rallied peacefully along the main
streets of Jakarta, celebrating the organization's first
anniversary along with the commemoration of the country's
Independence Day anniversary.

About 300 members of the front staged a protest in front of
the station in South Jakarta on Monday morning before moving to
GPK headquarters in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, to question it
regarding its involvement in the rally.

Mizbah said his organization's members were upset by the
actions of the GPK. (04)