Students jubilant, but not satisfied

JAKARTA (JP): Students nationwide rejoiced following Soeharto's resignation yesterday but demanded that B.J. Habibie step down as president immediately.

After watching the announcement, televised live at 9 a.m., thousands of students -- who have taken over the House of Representatives building in Central Jakarta since Tuesday -- ran to the compound to join a noisy but peaceful victory march.

Some of them jumped into the huge fountain in front of the building to express their sheer joy.

"First, I could not believe it. The king has finally stepped down. I never thought that he would give up his crown. Everything moved so fast," Mirinda Panggabean, a Trisakti University student, said.

"I think he'll still play significant roles even though he's not president anymore," he said.

Student leader from the University of Indonesia Ikravany Hilman said he planned to call on his peers to push forward with the reform movement.

"For us, this is just the beginning. We won't stop until a just and clean government is formed. We'll never tire of pursuing our goals," Ikravany said.

Most of the university students, who came from various cities, insisted that Soeharto's resignation and the abrupt appointment of Habibie as president was not enough for them.

They even pledged to stay at the House until the right person could be elected as president.

"If we return home, we would not be allowed to enter this complex anymore," Bina Sarana Informatika student Abdul Munir said.

"We reject Habibie. We want Soeharto's regime to be purged from this nation."

Cahya, a student of Jakarta Economics Academy, said the students occupying the House would not accept President Habibie.

"He can't rule the country as Soeharto is still behind him," he said.

Wisnu Adinugroho, an alumni from the School of Architecture of Mercu Buana University, said the nation's new president would not solve the problem.

"Many people still consider him one of Soeharto's people and he does not represent all social and political classes," he said.

Tumpak Sitorus of the National Science and Technology Institute said the hasty appointment of Habibie by Soeharto had already been predicted by the students.

"By doing so, Soeharto will be saved because the new president is still one of his people. That is what we really don't want," Tumpak, who claimed he was rally coordinator for the institute, said.

According to Tumpak, he would not even support political figures such as Amien Rais and Emil Salim.

"We just need an independent committee, whose members include those from the National Commission on Human Rights, which will later take control and elect a new president and vice president through a peaceful People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) extraordinary session."

Like most student groups, the Association of Catholic Students (PMKRI) still demanded the Assembly immediately hold an extraordinary session to determine Soeharto's accountability.

Some students also doubted the resignation of Soeharto, who has been in power since 1966, and the appointment of Habibie, a civilian with a close relationship with his predecessor.

"It's still a great mystery for us," Simon Siregar of Mustopo University said.

In a related development, executives of Communication Forum of Students, Alumni and Lecturers of a private business academy (STIE/STIMIK Perbanas) rejected Soeharto's announcement of resignation and insisted the appointment of Habibie was illegal.

They said Habibie's swearing-in was against Article 9 of the 1945 Constitution which stipulates that the oath should be performed in a People's Consultative Assembly/House of Representative session.

United Indonesian Moslem Students Action (KAMMI) reiterated that students would not relinquish their demands for a clean, fair and responsive government.

"We just want to see whether the new government can be fair, clean and not arrogant," the group's chairman Fahmi Hamzah said.

Some students adopted a wait-and-see approach to the new president.

"We should give Habibie a chance. Let him prove that he can solve the problems of the country. We should not judge him before giving him a chance," chairman of the Association of Moslem Students (HMI) Anas Urbaningrum said.

Indonesian students overseas also expressed their delight that Soeharto had stepped down.

"I'm relieved with the news that Soeharto has left his job," Abdul Rahim Adam, chairman of the 2,500-strong Indonesian Students Association in Cairo, said.

His colleague, Hendri Rizalhadi, said: "(Soeharto's resignation) is very positive.

The students refused to join a meeting between then president Soeharto and the Indonesian society in Cairo last week.

Unlike their peers, Corps of the Indonesian Alumni Moslem Students Association (KAHMI) expressed their support for Habibie.

"Pak Habibie is the country's best son for the presidential post," Ismed Abdullah, a member of KAHMI presidium, told reporters yesterday. (emf/bsr/edt/jun/ivy)