"The public discussion will be an important event to remember Indonesia`s Father of Development. It will be held on Sunday (Jan,27) at 13.10 West Indonesian Time, exactly three years after his demise," Jantje Worotitjan, national coordinator of the Alliance of Soehartoist Patriotic National Development Pioneers of the Republic of Indonesia (ASPPPRI), said here on Saturday.
When considering the leadership of Indonesia`s second president, Soeharto, the present generation would not have the slightest doubt about his patriotism in running the government, Jantje said.
Indonesia`s rise to the position of one of the world economy`s "Asian tigers" during Soeharto`s administration was an undeniable fact in the country`s economic history, he said.
"People can say anything about Pak Harto, but one sure thing is that his name as Indonesia`s Father of Development and his achievements in pursuing Pancasila-based development can never be erased," he said.
Meanwhile, Donny Lumingas of the Nusantara Studies Institute (ISN) said there was a similarity between Soeharto as the Father of Development and Indonesia`s first president, Soekarno, as the proclaimer of Indonesian independence.
"Both were `crazy` about the Republic of Indonesia and had dedicated their lives to the national interest with pure idealism, so that Indonesia would no longer be a second-rate, down-trodden, inferior nation in the world,` he said.
Therefore, he added, it was not surprising that until today there were still many people at home and abroad who adhered to both leaders` ideas and even continued to pursue them.(*)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
