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Youth organisations reject Suharto

Source
Kabar dari PIJAR - January 12, 1998 (posted by Tapol)

A number of youth organisations went to Parliament on Monday, 12 January, to deliver a statement rejecting the nomination of retired General Suharto for president from 1998-2003. The organisations supporting the call including several student organisations, PMII (Islam), GMNI (nationalist), PMKRI (Catholic), IPPNU and FGKMNU (NU youth groups) KMHDI (?), KIPP - the Election Monitoring Committee - two human rights organisations, PUSPIPHAM and PIPHAM, and PIJAR the Reform and Action Network.

Speaking for the whole group, A. Baskara told the press that they wanted Suharto to step down because he is not physically strong and his condition of health is alarming. We believe, he said, that the country needs a healthy and dynamic leader of integrity.

He said they did not have their own candidate to replace Suharto but suggested that the MPR should collect the names of people nominated by various groups in society and sift through the list for the most suitable person. 'We support candidates who are in favour of reforming the political and economic structures.'

The group also told a press conference that Suharto should be called to account politically and juridically for the policies he has carried out since he came to power.

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