President speaks about Prabowo

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie made his first public comment on Monday about Army Strategic Reserves Command's then chief Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto's alleged resistance to his ascent to the presidency after Soeharto stepped down on May 21 last year.

In an off-the-cuff speech while receiving participants of the Asian-German Editors Forum at Merdeka Palace, the President said Prabowo deployed troops in several parts of Jakarta, including near his residence in Kuningan, South Jakarta.

"Troops under the command of somebody whose name I will not hide -- general Prabowo -- were concentrated in several places, including near my home," Habibie said about events on May 22, 1998.

The President said he received the information from Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto. He did not say what was the purpose of the deployment.

"Since I was also concurrently ABRI's supreme commander, General Wiranto sought my advice on what to do. I said he should withdraw the troops," the President recalled.

The government has never before made an official statement about the actions of Prabowo, who is Soeharto's son-in-law. Prabowo was removed as chief of the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) on May 22.

A military source said that Prabowo had demanded that Habibie appoint him ABRI chief. Habibie reportedly told Prabowo he was firm with his decision to retain Wiranto.

Prabowo was discharged from the military following revelations of his involvement in the abductions of political activists. He was last reported to be in Amman, Jordan. (prb)