President speaks about Prabowo

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)