Journalists and activists who attended a press conference which had been called to announce the results of a referendum held by the Gajah Mada University student body were disappointed and angry when they were told that the results would after all not be announced. The committee which had organised the event asked the journalists 'to understand' their position. 'We know you are all disappointed,' said Haryo Setyoko, 'but we beg your understanding'.

Posters announcing the results had been put up in the faculties, saying that the majority of those participating in the referendum had said they wanted a presidential succession in 1998 and wanted the number of terms a president could serve to be limited.

The atmosphere at the press conference became heated when it was announced that the results would not be made public. 'We will deliver the results to the MPR,' said the chair of the student body. 'It's part of our strategy for taking the issue forward,' he explained.

Journalists were not satisfied with the explanation and asked whether there had been pressure from outside forces. 'We are not saying that that was what happened, but you can draw your own conclusions,' they were told.

[As readers of act.indonesia already know, the results were made public in an interview published by Tempo Interaktif on the Internet - TAPOL.]