Former activists for Soeharto's reelection<\/p>\n
SEMARANG (JP): An organization of former student activists,
\nKeluarga Besar Laskar Arief Rachman Hakim, vowed last week to
\nback the renomination of President Soeharto for a seventh term in
\n1998, but the group said it had not yet considered candidates for
\nvice president.<\/p>\n
\"Wait and see. We have only decided to announce our support
\nfor the presidential candidacy, we'll have candidates for vice
\npresident later,\" said Akbar Tanjung, a former student leader and
\nmember of the organization.<\/p>\n
Akbar, also Minister of Public Housing, said he saw nothing
\nwrong with promoting the names of figures that social groups
\nwanted to have as president from 1998 through 2003. \"There's no
\nlaws that prevents us from doing so, as long as we are doing it
\nthrough the proper mechanism and system,\" he said yesterday.<\/p>\n
He explained that a statement of support for presidential
\ncandidates should be done through the existing political
\ngroupings in the People's Consultative Assembly.<\/p>\n
The assembly will convene in 1998 to elect a president. It
\nwill also draw up the next Broad Guidelines of State Policies and
\nreview laws proposed by political parties. The assembly consists
\nof representatives of the ruling Golkar, the United Development
\nParty (PPP), the Indonesian Democratic Party, the Armed Forces
\nand other social groups.<\/p>\n
Recently a number of public figures have named several people
\nas potential vice presidents, including State Minister of
\nResearch and Technology B.J. Habibie and Minister of Information
\nHarmoko.<\/p>\n
Keluarga Besar Laskar Arief Rachman Hakim is an organization
\nof former student leaders who played a major role in Soeharto's
\nrise to power in 1966. The organization said that Soeharto's
\nreelection will \"guarantee the continuation of development
\nprograms and will guarantee that national leadership remains in
\nthe hands of the New Order government.\"<\/p>\n
Numerous organizations affiliated with the ruling Golkar,
\nseveral cabinet ministers and the Legion of Indonesian Veterans
\nhave openly called on the assembly to reelect Soeharto, now 75.<\/p>\n
Soeharto was reelected in March 1993 for his sixth consecutive
\nterm. He has been in power practically unchallenged for almost 30
\nyears.<\/p>\n
Matori Abdul Jalil, a PPP legislator, said the next president
\nshould be widely supported, sensitive to people's needs and open
\nto public criticism.<\/p>\n
He said the three political groupings should come up with
\ntheir own presidential candidates. (har\/14\/swe)<\/p>",
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