U.S. wants clear timetable for Indonesian election

U.S. wants clear timetable for Indonesian election

WASHINGTON (AP): The United States wants new Indonesian
president B.J. Habibie to establish a clear timetable for holding
a general election to select new members of the House of
Representatives/People's Consultative Assembly, a senior Clinton
administration official said.

Aurelia Brazeal, assistant secretary of state for East Asian
and Pacific Affairs, also told a congressional panel on Thursday
that the United States should be prepared to assist Indonesia
because the country may face tough times ahead.

Brazeal said many Indonesians agreed that free and credible
elections were "of the most pressing need to restore confidence
in the government" that took office last month when former
president Soeharto resigned after 32 years in power.

She said Soeharto had "emasculated and caged political forces"
during his time in office, leaving few democratic institutions in
the world's fourth most populous nation.

She said the United States would work closely with Indonesia
during this transitional period "while acknowledging that only
the Indonesian people could determine their future."

She said Indonesia's economic difficulties were likely to
increase because food distribution systems had been devastated
during the wave of riots which preceded Soeharto's resignation.

Brazeal said that although Indonesia appeared to have a
sufficient supply of rice to feed its population, sharply rising
inflation might push the price of this and other basic
commodities beyond the reach of the average Indonesian.

She said the United States and other nations should be
prepared to participate in a concerted international effort to
provide humanitarian assistance.

Meanwhile, American diplomats evacuated from Indonesia last
month have not yet been given the all-clear to return, despite a
decline in violence, the U.S. State Department said on Thursday.
Travelers are also being advised to avoid coming to Indonesia,
unless for essential reasons.

Employees of the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta and the U.S.
Consulate in Surabaya, East Java, who were evacuated in May,
leaving only essential American government workers behind, will
stay away "until the security situation further stabilizes," the
department said.

The statement made a point of advising Americans not to hail a
taxi on the street, but to use taxis at hotels or order them by
telephone.