DATE=1/28/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=INDONESIA / WAHID (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-258519
BYLINE=PATRICIA NUNAN
DATELINE=JAKARTA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid has
left the country for a 16 day-trip to help
attract foreign investment to Indonesia's ailing
economy. As Patricia Nunan reports from Jakarta,
Mr. Wahid has left Vice President Megawati
Sukarnoputri in charge of the nation, wracked by
violence and amid intense speculation about a
military takeover.
Text: Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid says
he has entrusted full authority to Vice President
Megawati Sukarnoputri while he is away.
Before leaving the Indonesian capital Friday, the
president said Ms. Megawati will take "whatever
measures necessary" to ensure security in the
nation. He added there is "nothing hidden"
between himself and the vice president.
The president has left Indonesia amid widespread
concern members of the Armed Forces might be
planning to overthrow his government. Several
heads of state asked the president not to go
abroad. But Mr. Wahid dismissed those concerns as
exaggerated.
The statement marks a reversal of opinion for the
president, who recently said members of the armed
forces were provoking violence in the provinces
of Maluku and Aceh to destabilize his government.
It is the religious clashes in eastern Maluku
Province that have some Indonesians concerned
about Ms. Megawati's ability to govern. The vice
president has come under fire in recent newspaper
editorials for what is considered to be a lack of
progress with the task of ending religious unrest
between the province's Muslims and Christians.
President Wahid mandated the assignment of ending
the religious violence in Maluku to the vice-
president when they took office in October.
Since then Ms. Megawati has visited Maluku
province twice. After a visit she made with the
president in December, the worst outbreak of
religious clashes in Indonesia's history broke
out, with at least 500 people killed in a week.
Indonesia's state news agency is also reporting
at least 49 people have been killed in clashes in
Maluku after the vice president's visit, earlier
this week.
President Wahid's departure comes the week he
marked his first 100 days in office. Mr. Wahid
is planning to travel throughout the Middle East,
Europe and Asia in order to drum up foreign
investment in order to pull Indonesia out of its
two-year economic crisis. (signed)
NEB/PN/GC/WD
28-Jan-2000 05:27 AM EDT (28-Jan-2000 1027 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
