Pare-pare residents show support for local hero
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)