Soeharto helps Gus Dur's plans

Soeharto helps Gus Dur's plans

TUBAN: Former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid said on Monday that former president Soeharto was ready to assist his development program of empowering small- and medium-scale businesses (UKM).

"Pak Harto will disburse trillions of rupiah for UKM," Gus Dur said in the East Java town of Tuban.

He said he had appointed human rights lawyers Munir and Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara to set up a foundation aimed at facilitating the development of UKM.

Gus Dur said he had also invited General Elections Commission (KPU) member Mulyana W. Kusuma, who had refused to join the foundation but instead had recommended Garuda.

Gus Dur said that 80-year-old ailing Soeharto had sent his close aides to express his wish to help resolve the nation's economic crisis by promoting small and medium businesses, not creating more debts. --Antara