Amin wants poll on Soeharto's reelection<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Political observer Amien Rais has suggested a
\nnational poll to find out whether the majority of Indonesians
\nreally want to reelect President Soeharto.<\/p>\n
"I still do not believe that all Indonesians want to reelect
\nPak Harto," Amien told reporters after addressing a seminar on
\nthe state of the economy here yesterday.<\/p>\n
"If the result of the poll shows that a majority of the people
\nwant to reelect President Soeharto, we all must honestly accept
\nthat," he said.<\/p>\n
"But the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) should take the
\npoll result into consideration if a majority chooses the
\ncontrary."<\/p>\n
Members of the 1,000-strong MPR will convene next March to
\nelect a president and vice president and endorse the 1998\/2003
\nState Policy Guidelines.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the dominant Golkar's decision to renominate
\nSoeharto, Amien said the MPR should also consider external voices
\nother than the formal political organization as an input for next
\nyear's presidential election.<\/p>\n
"The MPR should be able to catch the informal messages of the
\npeople and then respond to their aspirations," he said.<\/p>\n
"Renominating President Soeharto would only mean that we
\n(people) turn him (Soeharto) into a cult figure," he added.<\/p>\n
Soeharto said earlier this month that he did not want people
\nto turn him into a cult figure. He also told Golkar over the
\nweekend to reconfirm its decision to renominate him with its
\nfollowers.<\/p>\n
Amien, chairman of the 28-million strong Muhammadiyah Moslem
\nOrganization, said he believed that there are many people
\neligible for the presidency.<\/p>\n
"I think there are many Indonesians who have the capacity
\nequal to first president Sukarno and incumbent President
\nSoeharto," he said. "The only thing to do is to give them (the
\neligible candidates) the opportunity."<\/p>\n
Indonesia's first minister of finance under President
\nSoeharto's New Order government, Frans Seda, shared Amien's
\nopinion that the younger generation lack the opportunity to lead
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
He challenged Indonesian youth to take up the opportunity
\npresented by President Soeharto.<\/p>\n
"I believe the Indonesian younger generation are capable of
\npresidency," he told reporters after addressing a seminar on
\nGlobalization and Nationalism at the Atma Jaya Catholic
\nUniversity here yesterday.<\/p>\n
Vice president<\/p>\n
The chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council, Sudomo, said
\nyesterday that the opportunity was not totally closed for
\nincumbent vice president Try Sutrisno's reelection.<\/p>\n
"Although there has been no vice president reelected for a
\nsecond consecutive term in our history, the constitution does not
\nrule out the opportunity for an incumbent vice president to be
\nreelected," he said.<\/p>\n
"It is also lawful for anybody or any institution to nominate
\nany name for vice presidency," he said, referring to Golkar's
\nWest Kalimantan chapter, which has declared Try Sutrisno its vice
\npresidential candidate.<\/p>\n
The Armed Forces (ABRI) MPR faction yesterday backed Golkar's
\nbid to deliberate a decree giving extra power to the next
\npresident.<\/p>\n
"The 1945 Constitution already gives huge power to the
\npresident, but it is not enough to enable him or her to take
\nimmediate measures when the country is endangered," a spokesman
\nfor the Armed Forces faction, Gen. Wiranto, told a plenary
\nsession of the Assembly's working committee.<\/p>\n
Golkar decided last month that it would introduce the security
\ndecree in response to President Soeharto's suggestion during a
\ncrash course for new legislators that it should reinstate the
\nextra power.<\/p>\n
Wiranto, also Army Chief of Staff, said the Armed Forces
\nshared Soeharto's concern. He said the extra power would
\nanticipate the side effects of globalization and public dynamism
\nwhich might bear seeds of social unrest.<\/p>\n
The chairman of Golkar's MPR faction, Ginadjar Kartasasmita,
\nyesterday denied allegations that the political group had met
\nbefore yesterday with the Armed Forces to discuss the proposal.<\/p>\n
"Each faction has the right to draw up its own proposals. Of
\ncourse we consult our proposals with other factions, not only the
\nArmed Forces," Ginandjar said.<\/p>\n
Minority factions the United Development Party (PPP) and the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party (PDI) did not follow in the footsteps
\nof the Armed Forces, but said they were ready to deliberate the
\nproposal.<\/p>\n
The ABRI faction also suggested that the presidential term
\nshould not be limited.<\/p>\n
"Any limitation would mean limiting the MPR's authority to
\nelect the country's best candidate for presidency," Wiranto said.
\n(imn\/amd\/aan)<\/p>",
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