Wiranto Complains of Smear Campaign
Jakarta
May 19, 2004

AFP-Former Indonesian military chief general Wiranto, who has been indicted in East Timor for crimes against humanity, alleged yesterday that officials were behind a smear campaign to sabotage his presidential bid.

Wiranto was quoted by the state Antara news agency as saying he had evidence that an official had funded student demonstrations against him.

"All the planning was drawn up in his official house," said Wiranto, the candidate for the Golkar party which won the April 5 legislative elections.

Wiranto also alleged action by UN-funded prosecutors in East Timor was intended to smear his reputation.

"It's true, everything is by design. I know who visited Dili before the issuance of the arrest warrant," he said, without elaborating on which Indonesian officials allegedly made the trip.

While the arrest warrant was issued on May 10, Wiranto has been indicted in East Timor since February 2003, before he became a presidential candidate. Advertisement Advertisement

Indonesia has said it does not recognise the East Timor warrant which says Wiranto bears command responsibility for murder and other crimes carried out by Indonesian forces in East Timor in 1999.

At least 1,400 people were murdered before and after East Timorese voted in August of that year for independence.

Wiranto has insisted he did his best to prevent the violence.

East Timor's president Xanana Gusmao believes good relations with Jakarta should take priority over court action but says he cannot interfere in legal proceedings.

Gusmao has said he could work with Wiranto if he won the July 5 presidential election.

An opinion survey conducted after the general elections showed Wiranto with 2.2 per cent support.

The International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), which conducted the survey, said his support was likely to increase significantly.

IFES found that another retired general, the soft-spoken former security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, was the top choice favoured by 30.6 per cent of respondents.

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