Reactions go on over phone tap

Reactions go on over phone tap

JAKARTA (JP): While the authenticity of a purported tapped
conversation between President B.J. Habibie and Attorney General
Andi M. Ghalib is yet to be proved, presidential aides have
charged that individuals aiming to discredit the President
masterminded the bugging.

Dewi Fortuna Anwar, the President's spokeswoman, said Saturday
that if the bugging proved to be authentic, political rivals of
Habibie were responsible.

"People who like him wouldn't do such a thing. It's very dirty
political play", Dewi said after attending the sixth anniversary
of the Center for Information and Development Studies, the think
tank of the Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals
formerly chaired by Habibie.

Declining to comment on the substance of the conversation,
Dewi said that "whoever is behind this is controlling big assets
and has access to do the dirty job".

While Ghalib has denied the voice on the recording is his,
Habibie is yet to comment on the authenticity of the
conversation.

At a Golkar function in Semarang on Friday, Minister/State
Secretary Akbar Tandjung described the transcript, published in
the Panji Masyarakat weekly, as a "leakage".

"Obviously those involved in the leakage intended, among other
reasons, to discredit Pak Habibie's position as President".

Akbar added that even if the conversation were true, it was
quite "normal".

Meanwhile, police are discussing the possibility of charging
parties responsible for the latest edition of Panji Masyarakat,
with the charge of disseminating untruthful information under a
1946 law.

As of Saturday, no information was available regarding the
outcome of police investigation into the conversation's
authenticity.

The transcript suggested that Habibie and Ghalib were
discussing the progress of investigations into two businessmen
who are staunch critics of the President. The person purported to
be Ghalib explains in the transcript the unsuccessful attempt to
deceive the public about the venue for the Soeharto investigation
on Dec. 9.

Amien Rais, chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), has
suggested that if the conversation was authentic it indicated the
government was not serious about investigating alleged corruption
by former president Soeharto.

Dewi said it would be impossible for Habibie to be "unwilling
and not serious", as the President had given his commitment to
the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Marzuki Darusman, the MPR deputy chairman who is also a
deputy chairman of the dominant Golkar party, also shared Dewi's
skepticism.

"I am not sure Habibie would want to postpone it (Soeharto's
investigation). No, he would not, especially given his earlier
promise (to complete the probe before the June 7 elections)
together with the enormous public pressure."

"(There) is no reason to postpone it... it would be too risky
if it was prolonged," he told The Jakarta Post. However, if later
the conversation was proven authentic, Marzuki said it would be a
"shocking" revelation.

He urged clarification on the authenticity of the taped
conversation and the method whereby the transcript was leaked to
the press.

Asked if an impeachment of Habibie by the MPR was possible
over the alleged obstruction of justice, Marzuki said it would
not be easy given the incomprehensibility of much of the alleged
conversation.

Another legislator, Djufrie Asmoredjo of the United
Development Party (PPP), concurred.

"Let's just wait and see," he said when asked if he and his
fellow legislators at the House of Representatives would urge the
MPR to summon Habibie over the possible obstruction of justice.

Adi Sasono, a Cabinet minister, also present in Semarang, said
it was impossible to topple Habibie over the purported tapping.
"Don't speculate that the tapping was meant to topple the
President".

Law professor Dimyati Hartono said in Semarang that the State
Secretariat should be held responsible and that the leakage
reflected the country's "very weak" condition. (aan/gis/har)