Brussels, 23/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - While awaiting an official confirmation of the dismissal of President Abdurrahman Wahid and his replacement at the head of the State by Megawati Sukarnoputi, the European Commission hoped, this Monday, that the process lead by the Indonesian Parliament will continue in calm and without violence. This issues is firstly and above all an internal affair. It is for the Indonesian political forces to find a way out of this dead-end, while respecting democratic principals and the constitution, indicated the spokesperson. The ASEAN should carry out an initial assessment of the situation, at this early stage, in the framework of the region forum, which will take place, this Wednesday in Hanoi (see other story, p.9).
Until now, the situation is calm and we strongly encourage the political and security forces to maintain (it) as such, they explain in Brussels, while referring to the small number of demonstrators, only one thousand, which filed before the seat of the Peoples' Assembly. For as much, the Commission regrets that the dismissal process begun last February by the MEPs have turn attention away from the real challenges faced by Indonesia and which must be urgently taken on board by the person who will govern the country, notably decentralisation towards greater regional autonomy, financial stabilisation (taking into account the rise in the budgetary deficit) and the return of economic growth. It states its readiness to support the efforts for economic and political stabilisation. Presently, Community aid represents around EUR 33 million per year, which is mainly dedicated to the progression towards regional autonomy and towards the conservation of forests.