Kalau saya tak salah, ada yang pernah minta transkrip wawancara Hbb dengan CNBC, ini ada di Straits Times; martin Straits Times/CNBC Jan 6 1999 I am legitimate President, says Habibie ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Almost eight months into the job and ahead of the delivery of his first budget to Parliament, Indonesian President B. J. Habibie spoke at length with CNBC in an interview that was aired last night. Here are excerpts: Summing up his eight months in office: A: From the first day I came into this office, I was cornered, not by people, but by problems...I was cornered by problems created by people. Q: Can you rule effectively without the people's mandate? A: Based on our Constitution, we had an election last year and 94 per cent of our people participated...and the parties who were elected there accepted the election. So based on that...I am indeed a legitimate President. Q: Many say that as Suharto's nominee, you represent not a solution but a perpetuation of the problems which brought Indonesian to its knees last May. How would you defend yourself from those charges? A: You cannot say that I am a product of one man; it is a product of a nation. Q: But you were a little more than a friend. You were his chosen successor... A: No. I think he has done that because the system made it like that. Q: Have you deserted an old friend? A: No, I called him on the 9th of June...on his birthday. I sent him flowers and I asked him whether he would allow me to see him and he told me "No...Look, my dear friend, you are the legitimate President and it's not good for this country, not good for you and not good for me that we see each other until everything has been solved". Q: Will he be brought to trial for the charges against him? A: We are a society and a country based on the law. I am not allowed, I am not willing, to interfere in the judicature, neither in the legislature. Q: Do you think he might be guilty of the charges? A: Knowing him for 50 years, I'm convinced that he is, in this case, a good man. He's always done and tried to do good things for the people. And may God give him, what you call, strength. And I'm sure anybody in this world, in any society, should be protected by the law or the system of the law and should enjoy the value of human rights -- that is, the presumption of innocence -- and should be able to defend himself. Q: You are faced with the huge challenge of leading Indonesia out of despair... Many say you are about to crumble. What do you say to your detractors? A: Many people have made that analysis. They say if Mr Habibie becomes Vice- President, then the dollar will be more than 20,000 rupiah. If he becomes President, he will now survive one week, one month and so on. Q: But it has to be said, on the day in January of last year when it was announced that you were to become Mr Suharto's co-pilot, investors took flight, the rupiah plunged... A: I didn't know whether the rupiah plunged because of theory or of a decision. We should be pragmatic. If you are driving a car, you will not hit a tree because of a theory that you will hit a tree. You will hit the tree because you are the driver who hit the tree. Q: But the reality is that investors don't have confidence in your leadership. Indonesia has to do something about persuading them. A: But you cannot value that within six months. You can value what had happened in the economy with the most important fundamental thing...the macro and micro indicators of society. Supposed the rupiah is now, let's say, 50,000 and inflation rate is 100 per cent, then there is no hope for my country. Q: Many people say you are a wacky technocrat, short on political savvy, blind to economic reality... A: They have the right to say that. I'm not going to defend myself. Maybe I am the most stupid guy existing in Indonesia...I am a stupid, naive and whatever guy. It's all right with me. But the fact is that I'm the President. Q: What is your relationship with General Wiranto? A: My relationship with Gen Wiranto is good because I like Gen Wiranto. Q: Does he like you? A: I don't know. You had better ask him. But I like Gen Wiranto because he is very intellectual and very cultivated. And we have two similar hobbies. First, I like motorcycles. I like to drive Harley-Davidsons. He also does. And secondly, we both like to sing. But the difference is that he has a beautiful voice. He's a good singer and I just sing. Q: When he sings, does he sing your praises, do you think? A: No he has a CD made, I think, four years ago. I will give you one! Q: The UN says 100 million Indonesians are expected to fall below the poverty line by the end of 1999. If I were one of those people...what would you tell me about the measures that you're going to institute to help me? A: First of all, I'm not going to give them fish. I'm going to show them how to fish. Q: But people want rice now. A: Yes, this is what I'm doing right now. That is in the social-safety network. The other thing we're doing also is that while giving them the minimum requirement that people need, we're also helping the small and medium- scale enterprises...so that they can create jobs. Q: On whether he would want to remain as President: A: If you ask me if I want it or not, I leave it to the elections. Q: Some say that Adi Sasono, your Minister of Cooperatives is likely to challenge you. A: Adi Sasono is a fairly potential leader of this country. And he belongs to my team because I have asked him to be in my team. And before I became President, he was already in my team...and I think so what, if the people want Adi or whoever, they should get him. Q: But he's also said to be the country's most dangerous man with an agenda that is based on divisiveness. A: I cannot make a comment of that because if the people want him to become President, then the people should know that accepting that man, they have to accept his agenda. That is normal...That is democracy. ______________________________________________________________________ To subscribe, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ** Jadual puasa Ramadhan @ http://www.indoglobal.com/puasa.html ** Indonesia without violence!
