Amien Rais vows not to engage in mudslinging<\/p>\n
A. Junaidi, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Amien Rais and his running mate Siswono Yudhohusodo could easily
\nresort to mudslinging with their rivals, especially those
\nassociated with "militarism" -- retired generals Wiranto and
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono.<\/p>\n
But the campaign team led by an executive of Amien's National
\nMandate Party (PAN) says those issues will be deliberately
\navoided. They seem to be aware that while the pair has been able
\nto reach number one in recent television polls based on text
\nmessaging, polls by research bodies place them lower than rivals.<\/p>\n
Campaign director Bambang Sudibyo said on Tuesday that "we
\nacknowledge that the issue of militarism benefits our candidate."
\nHowever, the former minister of finance said, "we won't use it
\nand will instruct our people not to participate in anti-military
\nprotests."<\/p>\n
He said the team would instead focus on the candidates' track
\nrecord: Amien was known as a leader of the reform movement and
\nSiswono is known as a "clean" administrator in both business and
\nthe bureaucracy.<\/p>\n
Amien, who formerly led the country's second largest Muslim
\norganization Muhammadiyah, played an important role in the forced
\nresignation of president Soeharto in May 1998.<\/p>\n
Siswono was in the property business before becoming minister
\nof public housing and minister of transmigration under president
\nSoeharto.<\/p>\n
The team's supervisory council chairman Eros Djarot said the
\nteam would also promote values of pluralism during the campaign.<\/p>\n
PAN's platform is inclusive and Amien initially touched on
\nfederalism as an alternative form of governance, but this has
\nproven to be unpopular with many.<\/p>\n
Eros, who also leads the Freedom Bull Nationalist Party
\n(PNBK), said that the campaign "will stress that the unitary
\nstate is the final form of our state. We will also make it clear
\nthat we are not anti-foreigner or anti-United States."<\/p>\n
Amien, a former professor of international relations at Gadjah
\nMada University in Yogyakarta, has frequently criticized the U.S.
\nfor its "double standards" in its foreign policy.<\/p>\n
Amien is perceived as representing Islam while Siswono is
\nconsidered a nationalist. Their campaign team is also made up of
\npeople from various walks of life and political movements.<\/p>\n
Two weeks ago, six parties -- the PNBK, the Star Reform Party
\n(PBR), the Marhaenisme Indonesian National Party (PNI
\nMarhaenisme), the Social Democratic Labor Party (PBSD), the
\nIndonesian Democratic Vanguard Part (PPDI) and Indonesian Unity
\nParty (PSI) -- announced support for the Amien-Siswono ticket.<\/p>\n
PNI Marhaenisme's leader Sukmawati Soekarnoputri who is also
\nMegawati's sister, PBSD leader Mochtar Pakpahan, PBR leader
\nZaenuddin MZ and PSI leader Rahardjo Tjakraningrat are also
\nmembers of the campaign team.<\/p>\n
The team also consists of former members of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) including Haryanto Taslam,
\nSophan Sophiaan, Yulius Usman and Siswono's brother, Meilono
\nSuwondo.<\/p>\n
Senior journalist Gunawan Muhammad, singer Franky Sahilatua,
\nchairman of Government Watch (Gowa) Farid R. Faqih and several
\nexperts, including Rizal Sukma, Rizal Panggabean, Didik J.
\nRachbini, Drajad Wibowo, are also part of the team.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/amien-rais-vows-not-to-engage-in-mudslinging-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}