B.J. Habibie interviewed by Maria Ressa, CNN.

Ressa: Thank you for joining us, Mr. President. This has been a turbulent month for Indonesia -
what do you see as the main challenges that you have ahead of you?

Habibie: The main challenge that I have to face today, is first of course to take care that the majority
of the people, who belong still to the poor, will not suffer. They are not the one who created this
economic problem, but they are the one who suffer.

Ressa: A minus 10% growth rate, inflation rate up to 60%, the banking system that is nearing
collapse - how do you plan to deal with this economy?

Habibie: First of all I need to increase the self-confidence of my people....t he self-confidence to their
ability. And if we could bring that self-confidence as soon as possible, I'm sure the confidence of the
foreign countries and investors will also increase. Nobody will have confidence in you if you yourself
do not have your own self-confidence.

Ressa: How do you plan to differentiate yourself from Mr. Soeharto and the old system that he had?.

Habibie: Let me first think about old and new system. Mr. Yeltsin is also a man who has to transform
the Russians... and Mr.Zhu Rongji is also a man who has to transform the Chinese society, but they
all belong to the old system. It is not so, whether you are an old or a new system - you know, you
yourself must have the attitude to reform. This seems to be built in, in my own personality.

Ressa: The students aren't letting up. How quickly can political reform and elections be put in place?

Habibie: The reform towards a more transparent, and more higher value of democracy in my country
must be done according to the constitution of this country. Otherwise people are not happy they claim
it is against the constitution. (laughs)... so based on that, I have to make an election... but an election
based on the existing law is not acceptable, because it limited the amount of parties - it limited the
freedom of people to organise. Now what I figure is this, I hope that the draft of the law will be ready -
the law for the election will be ready in August, in two months.

Ressa: Do you have the full support of the military?

Habibie: I think so - the military is always supporting the constitution...whoever will be the president
of the Republic of Indonesia, the military will take care that this president, based on the constitution,
will do his job. So I think I have no problem with the military. Nobody has a problem with the military
here in this country.

Ressa: You have a huge country - 300 ethnic groups, 585 languages, three separatist movements...
can you hold...do you have enough support to hold this country together during this very fragile
period?

Habibie: Yes. You know, our colonial masters had misused the differences in my society to maintain
their role as colonial masters - to let us fight against each other. And what Indonesia is doing since
fifty years, not to misuse but to make use about the differences as a resource of inspiration.

Ressa: What about East Timor?

Habibie: East Timor is an integrated part of the Republic of Indonesia. We have done more in the
last twenty years than the former colonial masters have done in the last four hundred years.

Ressa: There ae so many issues about corruption, collusion, military abuses... that now people are
demanding an explanation for. How do you plan to address their concerns?

Habibie: I think it is not worthwhile to dig into the past. I have to look to the future and to create a
better life and more...what you call that.... a bright future for the people.