Researchers oppose Habibie's candidacy

JAKARTA (JP): Researchers from the National Institute of Sciences (LIPI) urged the People's Consultative Assembly on Tuesday not to make incumbent B.J. Habibie the next president.

In their statement, the scientists also declared their opposition to any presidential candidate with links to former president Soeharto's New Order regime.

"Habibie is politically naive and his achievement after serving his 16-month tenure is no more than damaging the political system, the economy, law enforcement and the morality of the country's people," Mochtar Pabottingi said at a media conference on behalf of some 50 colleagues who signed the statement.

Among the signatories were Syamsuddin Harris, Ikrar Nusa Bhakti, Moctar Pabottingi and Hermawan Sulistyo. Political observer Muhammad A.S. Hikam attended the media conference, but did not sign the statement.

The same demand was lodged by the Family of the Yogyakarta- based Gadjah Mada University Alumni (Kagama). Its delegation led by its chairman and senior lecturer Kunto Wibisono told new MPR chairman Amien Rais that Habibie had failed to put an end to economic and political crises and to carry out a sweeping reform.

"This transitional government has been proven unable to stop the multi-dimension crises... The nation is bearing a heavy burden stemming from increasing foreign loans," Kunto told Amien, who is also member of Kagama.

LIPI researchers said the present administration was the successor to the Soeharto regime, and Habibie's appointment to the presidency was intended to protect his predecessor.

"The decision to freeze the investigation into the alleged corruption by Soeharto is clear proof of this," Mochtar said, referring to Attorney General Ismudjoko's announcement on Monday that the investigation of Soeharto was being closed due to a lack of evidence.

Then vice president Habibie took over the presidency when his mentor Soeharto resigned in May last year following a wave of student demonstrations demanding sweeping political reform.

A number of LIPI researchers also joined the students last year in calling for Soeharto's resignation.

Habibie, who is Golkar Party's presidential nomination, is touted as a leading presidential candidate, along with Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri and Muslim leader Abdurrahman Wahid, who is the candidate of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Justice Party (PK).

Mochtar said Habibie could not satisfy the public's demand for greater democracy because of his support for the military's dual sociopolitical role. The researchers also highlighted what they called Habibie's poor track record, including his failure to resolve the high-profile Bank Bali scandal and the killing of student demonstrators.

On Megawati, whose party won the most votes in the June 7 general election, although it fell short of securing a majority, Mochtar said she would not necessarily win the presidency.

"But it will be a lie to the people if the poll winner doesn't take the top post," he said, quickly adding: "It will also be a hoax if a presidential candidate is not someone who is intellectually and mentally capable, although that person is the offspring of a very charismatic leader." (04/rms)