Govt officials, observers differ on presidency<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Government officials opposed yesterday the
\nrecent suggestion that civilians were not as qualified as those
\nwith a military background to lead the country and would not be
\nready for at least another five years.<\/p>\n
State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie
\ninsisted that civilians were more deserving of the top post on
\ngrounds that they made up the majority of Indonesia's population.<\/p>\n
\"It's deplorable if we allow only a small group to obtain
\nnational leadership without giving a chance to the larger group,\"
\nHabibie said after a hearing with House of Representatives
\nCommission X, which deals with science and technology.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security
\nSoesilo Soedarman and Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M.
\nseparately agreed that the race for the presidency remained open
\nto civilians. However, military analysts Salim Said and Yahya
\nMuhaimin said the time for nonmilitary figures has yet to come.<\/p>\n
Equipped with statistical data, Habibie said the number of
\nactive and retired Armed Forces (ABRI) members only amounted to
\n600,000 people, while there were about 100 million civilians who
\nmet basic qualifications of becoming state leaders.<\/p>\n
\"Mathematically, the larger group has more qualified
\ncandidates for the top post,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Habibie is considered to be a strong candidate for the vice
\npresidency along with State Minister of National Development
\nPlanning Ginandjar Kartasasmita and Minister of Information R.
\nHartono.<\/p>\n
He said giving the military an exclusive right to lead the
\ncountry would devastate the national goal of bringing welfare to
\nall.<\/p>\n
\"I don't think the Armed Forces has any intention of claiming
\nthe exclusive right,\" Habibie said.<\/p>\n
Soesilo said both civilians and servicemen had an equal
\nopportunity to become a president.<\/p>\n
\"For me, it's okay if a candidate is a civilian or member of
\nthe Armed Forces. The most important thing is that he or she
\nmeets the criteria and is ready for presidential tasks,\" Soesilo
\nsaid after addressing the 1997 International Maritime Conference
\nhere yesterday.<\/p>\n
Yogie also expressed his belief that both civilians and
\nmembers of the Armed Forces were equally capable for the job. \"It
\nwill depend on the People's Consultative Assembly on who will
\nbecome the next president,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The officials and observers were responding to an earlier
\nsuggestion by political analyst Juwono Sudarsono that at present
\nonly candidates with a military background, not civilians, had
\nthe capacity to become president, at least until 2005. Juwono is
\ndeputy governor of the military think tank, the National
\nResilience Institute.<\/p>\n
Soesilo said he never doubted the capability of the country's
\ncurrent generation.<\/p>\n
Yogie said: \"This country has 200 million (potential
\ncandidates) for the presidency,\" referring to Indonesia's current
\npopulation.<\/p>\n
Observers<\/p>\n
Salim Said and Yahya Muhaimin, however, separately supported
\nJuwono's statement.<\/p>\n
\"Civilians would only be able to reach the country's top
\nposition if they had the support of the Armed Forces,\" Salim said
\nafter meeting with Minister of Information R. Hartono at the
\nlatter's office yesterday. Salim visited the minister in his
\ncapacity as chairman of the Jakarta Arts Council.<\/p>\n
Salim said civilian organizations were not solid enough to
\nsupport a civilian candidate for the state leadership race.<\/p>\n
\"It'll take some time before a civilian will rise to the
\ncountry's top position,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Political observer Yahya Muhaimin of Yogyakarta said ABRI's
\nsupremacy in the country's political arena lay more on historical
\nrather than conceptual grounds.<\/p>\n
\"The New Order government, backed by the Armed Forces, saw
\nthat stability was key to sustainable development. And the Armed
\nForces has been playing an important role in maintaining
\nstability,\" said Yahya, who is dean of Gadjah Mada University's
\nSchool of Social and Political Sciences.<\/p>\n
Salim, however, dismissed the suggestion that the strong
\npresence of ABRI in the country's political arena hampered
\ncivilians and their organizations from developing.<\/p>\n
\"It's not true. Preventing civilians from accessing politics
\ncould lead to a social explosion,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Salim cited social conditions that need to be met before
\ncivilians could lead the country, including a strong middle
\nclass, and that civilians should have good relations in business
\ncircles.<\/p>\n
Yahya suggested that the next cabinet combine both civilian
\nand military leaders in order to establish a strong government.
\n(amd\/05\/23\/imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-officials-observers-differ-on-presidency-1447893297",
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