Golkar Party seeks alternative candidate<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Golkar Party's central board of executives
\nis seeking an alternative presidential candidate in anticipation
\nof a possible rejection of President B.J. Habibie's
\naccountability speech by the People's Consultative Assembly
\n(MPR), the party's deputy chairman Marzuki Darusman said on
\nSunday.<\/p>\n
Marzuki, who heads the party's faction at the Assembly,
\ndeclined to nominate an alternative Golkar Party presidential
\ncandidate. But he did reveal that a new candidate could be drawn
\nfrom inside or outside the party.<\/p>\n
\"The alternative candidate -- if we have to name one -- would
\nbe decided hours before the presidential election on Wednesday,\"
\nMarzuki told a media conference.<\/p>\n
Golkar confirmed Habibie's candidacy in a leadership meeting
\nheld early last week. The party also authorized Habibie to choose
\nhis running mate -- Indonesian Military chief Gen. Wiranto -- and
\nprovided a mandate to the executive board to adopt an alternate
\ncandidate if necessary.<\/p>\n
Habibie's fate will be known on Tuesday, when 695 members of
\nthe Assembly will decide on whether to accept his accountability
\nspeech.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said that his faction's hope of reaching a consensus
\nwith other factions was fading because four factions -- the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the
\nNational Awakening Party (PKB), the Love the Nation Democratic
\nParty (PDKB) and the Indonesian Nationhood grouping -- had
\nrejected the President's report.<\/p>\n
\"The only thing we could do now is to fight for a secret
\nballot on the accountability speech, with a hope that we can
\nsolicit support from other factions,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said that the party's central board had prepared four
\noptions if the President's report was rejected.<\/p>\n
\"Golkar will go ahead with Habibie's nomination, seek an
\nalternative presidential candidate, back other factions'
\npresidential candidates, or leave it for the Golkar faction's 184
\nmembers to freely make their own choices.\"<\/p>\n
But Marzuki said the second alternative was the most likely
\nmode of action.<\/p>\n
\"Of course it's legal for the party to go ahead with Habibie's
\nnomination, despite a vote of no confidence by the Assembly, but
\nit will be a serious problem from a moral and ethical point of
\nview,\" he said.<\/p>\n
There is no legal consequence for a president whose
\naccountability speech is turned down, although the Provisional
\nAssembly rejected in 1967 the report presented by founding
\npresident Sukarno and unseated him.<\/p>\n
Golkar's deputy secretary Mahadi Sinambela said on Sunday that
\nhis faction was split on Habibie's candidacy following statements
\nof rejection of the President's speech from four Assembly
\nfactions.<\/p>\n
He said the rejection had sparked anger among Habibie's
\nsupporters in the faction and provoked them to \"launch certain
\nmoves which do not conform to the party's policy line\".<\/p>\n
\"They invited leaders of the party's provincial chapters to
\nthe Sahid Jaya Hotel without notifying the chairman (Akbar
\nTandjung),\" he said. He declined to identify the group's members.<\/p>\n
Most Golkar chapter leaders are staying in Jakarta until the
\npresidential election is over.<\/p>\n
Mahadi said his faction would accept the Assembly's decision
\nif it rejected Habibie's accountability report. (05\/rms)<\/p>",
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