Prabowo pays courtesy call on 'friend' Amien

Prabowo pays courtesy call on 'friend' Amien

SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): Former chief of the Army
Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo
Subiyanto met the People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien
Rais at Muhammadiyah hospital here on Thursday.

Both Prabowo and Amien were quick to deny political motives
behind the encounter, saying it was just a meeting between
friends.

"I came here after hearing that Pak Amien's mother is sick,"
Prabowo said.

The closed-door meeting took place in the VIP room of the
hospital and lasted about one hour.

Prabowo, a son-in-law of former president Soeharto, arrived at
the hospital at about 1 p.m. along with his companions Ahmad
Sumargono, a legislator from the Crescent and Star Party and
Fadlizon, the party's deputy chairman.

Amien said that Prabowo's visit was routine, but added that
the former chief of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) asked him
about current political and security affairs.

"Many people abroad ask Mas Prabowo about the political and
security situation in Indonesia. That's why he visited me,"
Amien, who is also chairman of the National Mandate Party, said.

He said he had met Prabowo twice since he was dismissed from
the Indonesian Military (TNI).

Amien asserted that Prabowo did not talk about the possibility
for him to start a political career in Indonesia.

Probowo was dubbed as a rising star before his dismissal from
military service in 1998 following May riots which claimed
hundreds of lives. Since then, he has been staying in Jordan,
where he conducts business.

Many analysts believed Prabowo's dismissal was a result of his
battle with former TNI chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto to reach the top
position in the military.

Wiranto himself has his military career cut short with his
early retirement starting from March 1. He was suspended as the
coordinating minister for political affairs and security due to
investigation into his alleged involvement in East Timor violence
last year.

Prabowo's father, noted economist Soemitro Djojohadikusumo,
earlier revealed that his son was preparing a white book about
his role during the riots.

Prabowo refused on Thursday to comment about the book and said
he had no interests in politics and preferred to be a
businessman.

Prabowo has been seen several times visiting his homeland
since the election of Abdurrahman Wahid as the president in
October last year. The President reportedly offered him a
position as military advisor. (44/jun)