Indonesian president brought in freedoms
Referendum also sparked East Timor crisis
Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, who has died aged 83, became Indonesia’s third president after decades of autocracy and initiated the transition towards democratic rule. He was head of state for just under 17 months, the shortest tenure in the country’s history.
In that period he lifted restrictions on political parties and labour unions, ended censorship, freed East Timor independence leader Xanana Gusmao from prison, signed a new agreement with the International Monetary Fund to stabilize the economy and promised elections.
These took place in June 1999, Habibie having withdrawn his nomination after losing a vote of confidence in parliament.
Before moving into politics, Habibie had made a name for himself as a brilliant aeronautical engineer. Having gone to Europe for his Masters in engineering and PHD in aerospace engineering, he rose to become vice- president of German aerospace company Messerschmitt- Bolkow- Blohm. There, he had researched thermodynamics, construction and aerodynamics and was involved in developing the Airbus A-330B.
Returning home, he was State Minister of Research and Technology for 20 years, overseeing shipbuilding, railways, steel, weapons, communications and energy.
On his return to Indonesia in 1974, he served as special assistant to the head of Pertamina, the state oil company, then became head of what is now known as Indonesian Aerospace.
As a government minister, Habibie was a member of six Indonesian cabinets between 1978 and 1998.
Although opposed to independence for East Timor, a former Portuguese colony that was occupied by Indonesia in 1975, Habibie agreed to a referendum with a choice between special autonomy and independence, antagonizing the military. The 1999 vote for independence triggered a terror campaign by pro- integration militias and the Indonesian armed forces. In 2002 East Timor achieved its goal under Gusmao, whose wreath at Habibie’s funeral referred to him as a “Big Brother.”
Habibie forfeited further popularity at home by his kid-glove handling of corruption charges against his mentor, Suharto, and his family.