---------------------------------------------------------- FREE for JOIN Indonesia Daily News Online via EMAIL: go to: http://www.indo-news.com/subscribe.html - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ++ Pemilu Online: http://www.indo-news.com/pemilu/ ++ ---------------------------------------------------------- Antara, 8 Juni 1999 Japan Welcomes Democratic Election in Indonesia Tokyo, June 8 (ANTARA/Reuters) - Japan, Indonesia's biggest creditor, on Tuesday hailed that country's first democratic election in 44 years and said it hopes Jakarta will make more progress as a democracy. "I am very pleased with the fact that Indonesia's national election ended safely," Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi said. "I hope that Indonesia, as a more democratic state, will progress and develop based on the public will determined under the election," he told reporters. Indonesia's first democratic election in 44 years was remarkably peaceful, reassuring investors who had feared an outbreak of violence. There were only reports of minor unrest. "Election campaigns were conducted with considerable freedom. With some exceptions, overall voting went smoothly," Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said. Early returns from election showed the main opposition party of Megawati Sukarnoputri taking the lead on Tuesday. But electoral officials stressed that only a fraction of votes from Monday's parliamentary election had been counted. Japanese banks held $19.03 billion in Indonesian debt as of the end of June 1998, the latest figures available from the Bank of International Settlements. The Japanese government has pledged $2.4 billion to Indonesia under the so-called Miyazawa Plan to aid crisis-hit Asian economies. (U.nn-04/8/06/99 13:46/RII/14:40/TB06) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 11 Jun 1999 jam 10:29:42 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
