BIZMEN HOPE ELECTIONS NOT TO CAUSE INSTABILITY

Jakarta, March 10 (ANTARA) - Young businessmen expressed the hope here on Monday that the upcoming legislative and presidential elections in the country this year will run safely and smoothly. and not cause political instability.

The chairman of the Association of Indonesian Young Businessmen (Hipmi), Erwin Aksa, said political frictions could well happen during the period but "we hope they will not lead to political instability."
The current economic crisis being faced by the country must not be made worse by political instability, he said when speaking about the organization's plenary meeting to be held on Tuesday.
He said Hipmi would convey the hope as well as recommendations regarding current economic crisis to the government at the meeting which was scheduled to be opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Regarding the crisis, Erwin said that it was an avoidable problem. He said all components of the nation had to unite in coping with the impact of the global crisis which was deepening.
He said Hipmi would recommend several measures to the government to meet the challenge such as stopping illegal imports, promoting use of domestic products, increasing stimulus for creating jobs such as for infrastructure development projects and maintaining people's purchasing power through tax stimulus and low fuel price.
Erwin said the Hipmi plenary board meeting was held every year for creating a working program for a year to come and organizational consolidation.
This time the meeting was held also in connection with the current crisis and the upcoming legislative election on April 9 and presidential election in July.
"Hipmi holds the view that people have to put forward national unity with regard to the implementation of the two events," he said.