Soeharto says people's benefit outweighs individual interests

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is not a country where the strongest triumphs and tyrannizes the weak, President Soeharto said yesterday.

In an address opening the national meeting of Kader Pembangunan Indonesia (Indonesian Cadres of Development), Soeharto said that Indonesia believes in placing the interests of many before the interests of a group or individuals.

"Any decisions of any organizations in society should be considered as to whether they benefit the people," he told a meeting of 500 people including Minister of Information Harmoko, House Speaker Wahono and Chairman of the Supreme Advisory Board Sudomo.

"No group should force its own will on another group," he said.

The Indonesian Cadres of Development consists of several organizations affiliated with the ruling Golkar party: Gabungan Karyawan Pembangunan Indonesia (Association of Indonesian Employees for Development), Wanita Pembangunan Indonesia (Indonesian Women for Development), Gabungan Pemuda Pembangunan Indonesia (Indonesian Youths for Development) and Mahasiswa Pembangunan Indonesia (Indonesian Students for Development).

Soeharto told the participants of the three day meeting that "national meetings are very important because they represent the highest authority of organizations and it's there that fundamental decisions are made".

He pointed out that Indonesian democracy, derived from the state ideology Pancasila, highly values musyawarah mufakat, or deliberation to reach consensus.

"In a process of deliberation, every party is given equal opportunity to express his or her opinion," Soeharto said. "Afterwards, agreements can be formulated to the satisfaction of every party, without anyone triumphant over others or anyone feeling as though they were losing out."

Soeharto said congresses' participants should be able to express opinions and points of view "with clarity and in good spirit".

"We should all remember that we aren't only held accountable for our decisions in this world. As a nation which strongly adheres to religious values, we believe we must account for our decisions before God in the hereafter," he said. (swe)