Public pressure needed to stop Habibie

Following heavy criticism over President B.J. Habibie's accountability speech, some may think his days are over, moreover with the controversial nomination by the Golkar Party of Gen. Wiranto for vice president. But political researcher Mochtar Pabottingi of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said this cannot be taken for granted.

Question: What is your general view of Habibie's accountability speech?

Answer: I followed it right to the end even though I was sleepy... I would rate it at two (out of 10). That was not an accountability speech (pidato pertanggungjawaban) it was pertunggingjawaban (accountability put on its head)

Since Habibie is an intellectual we would have expected analytical rigor in anticipation of public reaction. The presentation would have been comprehensive and it would mean the inclusion of weaknesses, which would be a sign of honesty. There was none of that. The speech merely directed the audience and it was deceitful.

Of the Bank Bali scandal we were only told the money had been returned.

Q: Would you say he lost the chance to become a statesman by not owning up to shortcomings?

A: He doesn't have the character to become one.

Q: Now that he's picked Gen. Wiranto as his running mate and that his speech has come under heavy criticism, has Habibie's chance for the presidency run out?

A: I do believe that there is a significant number of People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) members now who have consciousness; the proof is that they elected Amien Rais (as chairman), and he is doing very well. However, we should not take it for granted because the stakes are too high.

It would be a disaster to have Habibie and Wiranto. We would have a second Soeharto regime.

Public pressure is needed to stop Habibie and Wiranto. I have great hope in the students, they are risking their lives, their numbers are getting bigger. We are grateful of the signs of more connection between the MPR and outside the MPR. We must all ensure continued pressure and go all out for democracy.

We must reject further destruction of the republic by Soeharto which was continued by Habibie.

Q: Do you think all members of Golkar nominated him out of loyalty?

A: It would be difficult to imagine money politics did not play a role... well, it (the nomination) would be from lack of character and money politics.

Q: Wiranto has never said no to this nomination, saying that as an Indonesian Military (TNI) officer he is ready for any assignment to serve the country. How do you see this, when TNI has pledged it is reforming itself and will gradually phase out of politics -- a recent LIPI study revealed TNI's "half hearted reform".

A: There was never any reform, Wiranto has failed to deliver. When TNI said it was reforming itself regarding human rights, the question is, which cases have been brought to court, who has been convicted? TNI can't say the public should not keep condemning it because it is trying to reform itself, the sacrifices have been too great. People cannot "buy a cat in a sack" (by entrusting TNI's reform to itself).

If TNI is truly neutral Wiranto would have rejected the offer.

Q: What are your suggestions to this difficult choice for the presidency?

A: The elections were dirty from the start. The Election Law is far from perfect, and the winning party only got some 30 percent, so the MPR members must open the chance for an alternative way and they should not rigidly stick to the rules of the game.

The presidential seat should go to the winning party (PDI Perjuangan) but the vice president should be someone known for his integrity like Nurcholish Madjid, even if he did not take part in the elections. I'm just following others who have proposed his name. Actually, we have many good people.

If Megawati (Soekarnoputri) becomes president people would not be disappointed. Not that I'm a great fan. I stopped being a supporter of Megawati when the party played dirty politics, like their involvement in the election of a TNI member (as speaker of Jakarta city council).

A nomination of Nurcholish or other such figures is possible now with at least 70 members or one faction (in MPR).

This is now the time for the winning party to lobby immediately for its vice president or we'll be doomed ...

So our problem is not just how to avoid Habibie but also how to correct Megawati's shortcomings. She has said that the system is not wrong, it's just the people. If she doesn't realize immediately her mistake, we could be heading back to Guided Democracy or Soeharto's patrimonial state. (anr)