Pare-pare residents show support for local hero

PARE-PARE, South Sulawesi(JP): Jakarta may have been the scene of fervent and sometimes violent protests against President B.J. Habibie's renomination, but in his home town of Pare-pare, residents came out in force over the weekend to express support for their favorite son.

At least 120 people, grouped in the Action for Reform Communication Forum held a mass prayer on Saturday asking the Almighty God for divine intervention and support for Habibie in Wednesday's presidential election.

The event coordinator, Zainal Azis, told The Jakarta Post here: "This mass prayer is not meant to specifically support Habibie."

"This event is merely held as a form of solidarity for a Pare- pare son, so that he can be firm in his struggle to uphold the life principles he strongly and truly holds."

Habibie was born on June 25, 1936, in the town of Pare-pare, which is about 230 kilometers north of the provincial capital Ujungpandang.

The prayer was attended by various local elements from youth organizations, political parties, religious groups, students and recognized ethnic leaders in the town.

Saturday's prayer was preceded by a free-speech forum, which was led by religious leaders.

The group also called on the nation, particularly the political elite, to maintain the country's unity.

"We ask the Indonesian people to stick together and not disintegrate just because Habibie is nominated as the country's presidential candidate," Zainal said, adding that people should not be easily divided due to political differences.

A local youth figure, Arung Abubakar, said people in Pare-pare were mindful of events in Jakarta.

He expressed concern that events and protests in Jakarta had absorbed so much attention while in fact, the views and feelings of the Indonesian people as a whole must be considered.

"Do not claim that the protests in Jakarta represent the voice of all Indonesian people. They're just Jakartans and even then they only represent a small number of residents in the capital," he said.

He lamented the violence and selfish acts conducted by anti- Habibie protesters trying to force their will upon others.

Arung warned that if Habibie was continuously "cornered" in such a way, then fellow Sulawesi people would likely retaliate by expressing a strong show of support and solidarity.

"If people on Java island continuously keep protesting against Habibie, then we here will not just stand by," he asserted. (27/emf)