---------------------------------------------------------- FREE for JOIN Indonesia Daily News Online via EMAIL: go to: http://www.indo-news.com/subscribe.html - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ++ Pemilu Online: http://www.indo-news.com/pemilu/ ++ ---------------------------------------------------------- Antara, 21 Juni 1999 Habibie Urges People to Accept Elections Results With Respect Jakarta, June 20 (ANTARA) - President B.J. Habibie called on the Indonesian people on Sunday to upload a democratic attitide by honourably accepting victory or defeat in the June 7 general election. The election results can neither satisfy everybody nor be free from shortcomings, he said when dedicating a selection for the Qur'an Reciting Competition (STQ) here. "We, however, must thank God the Almighty because the whole process of the just-completed general election was far better than the previous ones. It had been conducted fairly, peacefully and joyfully," he said. Habibie, who has been nominated by the ruling Golkar Party as its presidential candidate in the upcoming presidential election, also reminded the nation of the fact that in the election certain parties gathered more votes than others. A total of 48 political parties took part in the elections. More than 117 million registered voters cast their ballots at more than 300,000 polling stations across the country. The final vote counting results will officially end on Monday (June 21). So far, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) maintains the lead in the preliminary vote count, followed by four other big parties - Golkar Party, National Awakening Party (PKB), United Development Party (PPP) and National Mandate Party (PAN). President Habibie said: "Winning or losing in the polls must respectfully accepted if the whole election process has been fair, just and transparent." For this nation, he said, the most important thing is not who wins or loses in the election, but the process itself. "The success of the election is a victory for the entire people." Habibie also expressed praise to the emergence of democracy in this country of more than 200 million people, saying that freedom of expression has made the Indonesian people have a high awareness to live in a democratic manner. The success of the election is expected to help the Indonesian people deal with their current political and economic problems, and lead them to a modern and better life. "Morality will be our main yardstick and guideline to step into the future because it is rooted deep in our religious and cultural values," he added. Meanwhile, on the STQ, Habibie hoped that the event would encourage Moslems to keep on practising Quranic teachings in their daily life. "We all become very sad if we watch on video-tape the May 1998 riots, lootings and arson in various places which had cost so many lives and material loss," Habibie said, calling on the people of all walks of life to come to God Almighty and prevent a repetition of the ordeals. Prior to the resignation of President Soeharto on May 21, 1998, a series of bloody incidents broke out in Jakarta and in some other parts of this archipelago, leaving big casualties. Participants from 27 provinces took part in the STQ held at the Pondok Gede Haj dormitory complex in East Jakarta. (T.PUS-02/NN-03/15:26/INT-NG/21:55/NN01/22:25/TB05) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 25 Jun 1999 jam 05:09:14 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
