Future national leader 'must be prepared' for challenges<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is in demand of a new national leader
\nto anticipate and manage future changes in the next millennium,
\npolitical observer Amien Rais said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Amien said at a seminar on national leadership here that the
\npresent national leadership, by nature, was now in its twilight
\nso the Indonesian people had to seek a successor.<\/p>\n
\"The incoming third millennium will see such a different
\nquality of challenges that we will require a new figure to cope
\nwith them. The person must be blessed with a vision on where the
\ncountry's 200 million people are heading,\" Amien said.<\/p>\n
He said the new leader should stand above all races, ethnic
\ngroups, religions and regions, dedicate himself or herself to
\nnational interests instead of those of his or her group and
\nfamily and be accountable to the people.<\/p>\n
However, he admitted that succession was unlikely to occur in
\nthe general session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
\nnext March.<\/p>\n
\"Due to the composition of factions in the Assembly, it's
\nreasonable that the general session will end up maintaining the
\nstatus quo,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The 1,000-strong Assembly will convene in March to endorse the
\nState Policy Guidelines and elect a president and vice president.<\/p>\n
Support for the reelection of incumbent President Soeharto has
\nbeen looming.<\/p>\n
The dominant political faction Golkar will have 488
\nrepresentatives in the Assembly, the United Development Party
\n(PPP) 134, the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) 16 and the Armed
\nForces 113.<\/p>\n
There will be another 100 people representing various mass
\norganizations, institutions and professions and 149 regional
\nrepresentatives who, along with the Armed Forces, traditionally
\naffiliate themselves with Golkar.<\/p>\n
Dialog<\/p>\n
Amien, who chairs the 20 million-strong Muhammadiyah modern-
\noriented Moslem organization, reiterated that people could push
\nfor a national dialog to choose an alternative national leader to
\nbe offered at the Assembly.<\/p>\n
\"It (the dialog) would depend on people's political will,
\ncourage and self-confidence. I believe if they are brimmed with
\nconfidence, the Assembly will heed their demand,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the dialog, in the form of seminars or discussions,
\ncould cover all issues the country faced, although it would be
\ninitially set up for choosing a new national leader.<\/p>\n
\"The dialog would have to run through democratic, transparent,
\nlegal and constitutional means and involve all generations,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He suggested that organizers of the dialog approach the
\npolitical elite group to tell them that the dialog would not be
\naimed at opening up a confrontation or causing a split in the
\nnation.<\/p>\n
Also speaking at the seminar held at the Foundation of the
\nIndonesian Legal Aid Institute were political analysts
\nDeliar Noor and Usep Ranawijaya.<\/p>\n
A group of youth activists representing a committee for
\ndemocracy and national leadership spontaneously nominated Amien,
\nDeliar, jailed government critic Sri Bintang Pamungkas, ousted
\nchairwoman of PDI Megawati Soekarnoputri, former leader of the
\nnow defunct Indonesian Socialist Party Soebadio Sastrosatomo and
\ncritics Abdul Madjid and Ali Sadikin for the presidency.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in Semarang, House of Representatives legislator
\nCholil Bisri suggested that the Assembly open a debate on
\nlimiting the presidential term during the general session.<\/p>\n
\"Somebody or a faction must initiate a discussion on the
\nissue, or it will lose its momentum,\" Cholil of PPP told
\nreporters. He was supporting a controversial statement made by
\nMinister of Transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo at a seminar last
\nmonth.<\/p>\n
He said PPP should have the courage to prompt the uncommon
\ndebate, even if its foreseeable defeat. (har\/amd)<\/p>",
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