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Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1999 10:48:58 -0600 (MDT)
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To: indonesia-l@indopubs.com
From: apakabar@Radix.Net
Subject: [INDONESIA-L] ASIAWEEK - Road to Rejection
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X-URL: http://cnn.com/ASIANOW/asiaweek/magazine/99/1029/nat.indonesia.2.html
Asiaweek story
OCTOBER 29, 1999 VOL. 25 NO. 43
The Road To Rejection
The events surrounding Habibie's fall
By JOSE MANUEL TESORO and DEWI LOVEARD Jakarta
He was foiled at the final turn. B.J. Habibie, 63, had endured months
of personal attacks, corruption scandals and splits within his own
party to battle for his political future. But it was not to be. His
accountability speech was rejected by the MPR late on Oct. 19, leading
him to step down as Golkar's presidential candidate. A recounting of
Habibie's final defeat:
Oct. 18 (Mon), 10:00 p.m. Golkar's pro-Habibie camp requests a
leaders' meeting at party headquarters - presumably a last-ditch
effort to unify the party behind Habibie. Chairman Akbar Tandjung
gives a ranting speech, but it is unclear exactly what point he is
driving at. The meeting breaks up three hours later without reaching
any conclusions. It is apparent, however, that the party remains
irrevocably split. Around 85 members have confirmed that they will
reject the speech. But they also say they will push for a secret
ballot. "We will not embarrass Habibie in public," says one. "After
all, Golkar was the master of this nation for over 30 years. We have
to appreciate the feelings of our members who still can't believe that
the times have changed."
Oct. 19 (Tue), 7:15 p.m. Just as the MPR session starts the process of
voting on the accountability speech, the DPR's East Timorese delegate
Natercia Osorio Soares disrupts the proceedings to deliver an
emotional speech. In accented Indonesian, she recounts the history of
East Timor's relationship with Indonesia and expresses regret that the
territory never had the chance to enjoy the benefits of integration.
She ends: "In the name of the East Timorese people, I would like to
thank the whole Indonesian nation for all the sacrifice, aid and
concern given to us all this time." She is given a standing ovation.
9:05 p.m. The voting begins. The delegates have rejected the new
electronic voting system, so the casting of the ballot is done
manually with pen and little green slips of paper.
11:00 p.m. The ballots are laboriously counted one by one. The tension
in the chamber is palpable. The "reject" votes initially take the
lead, but by the time half the ballots have been counted, the
"accepts" are on top. Habibie backers burst into a song about Bandung,
long the home of Habibie's family. But their elation does not last
long. In the final stretch, the rejects pip the accepts. Habibie's
opponents in the balcony roar and start singing the national anthem.
Amid cries of "Allahu Akbar" (God is great), some clasp their hands in
a prayer of thanks. Habibie supporters are slumped in their seats,
stunned.
Oct. 20 (Wed), 12:25 a.m. The vote result is officially announced: 355
against Habibie's speech, 322 for, 9 abstentions, 4 spoiled ballots.
Shortly thereafter, the MPR passes a decree formally revoking East
Timor's integration into Indonesia.
AsiaNow
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