"The political reform movement in Indonesia was not a revolution but an accelerated evolutionary process," Habibie said in a keynote address at a United Nations forum on democratic transition here on Monday.
He said revolution was political change whose final results were unpredictable and therefore it could not be applied in Indonesia to bring about a transition to democracy.
"Through a gradual but accelerated evolutionary process, Indonesia was able to rise from a political trough and forge itself as as the largest Muslim country in the world into a democracy," he said.
At the UN forum, Habibie was asked to share his experience about Indonesia`s transition to democracy after former President Soeharto resigned on May 21, 1998 and Habibie, who was then vice president, took over the reins of government.
The former chairman of the Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI) explained how difficult it was for him as the transitional president at the time to manage the multidimensional crisis after President Soeharto had stepped down.
But Habibie said he felt proud of several achievements he made during his 18 months in power.
The achievements he made were among others restoration of the freedom of the press as the main priority in the delivery of quality information, and the freedom of expression.
Habibie also introduced an anti monopoly law and established and independent commission to guarantee healthy competition in business.
Present as speakers at the forum organized by the UN Development Program (UNDP) were a number of experts and politicians from Asia, Latin America, and South Africa.
Another eynote speaker from Indonesia at the forum apart from Habibie was former People`s Consultative Assembly (MPR) chairman Amien Rais.
The forum was opened by Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf and chairman of the UNDP representative in Cairo Helen Clark.
(Uu.O001/HAJM/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
