Habibie says only God knows about his future promotion<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Research and Technology J.B.
\nHabibie said only God knows whether he will become vice
\npresident.<\/p>\n
Habibie gave this diplomatic reply yesterday to a question by
\na local ulema in Probolinggo, Central Java, on the possibility of
\nhis being nominated vice president in 1998.<\/p>\n
\"People can make plans but it is Allah who decides,\" remarked
\nHabibie, who is seen by analysts as a strong candidate for the
\npost.<\/p>\n
Habibie himself has not declared his true aspirations.<\/p>\n
This sensitive question was asked during the question and
\nanswer session of Rabithah Ma'ahid Islamiyah, a gathering of
\nleaders of pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) of Nahdlatul
\nUlama.<\/p>\n
NU is an influential Moslem organization with an estimated
\nloyal following of over 30 million, traditionally rooted in the
\nrural areas.<\/p>\n
While NU has officially committed itself not to delve in
\npractical politics, its strong following make it a force which
\ncan not be easily dismissed by politicians.<\/p>\n
NU's clout was evident by the presence of President Soeharto
\nwho opened and addressed the meeting on Saturday.<\/p>\n
As reported by Antara, Habibie, who is not a member of NU,
\nyesterday addressed the forum as the head of the Indonesian
\nAssociation of Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI), an organization set
\nup only in 1990 which already wields great political clout.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, Habibie refused to give a straight answer. He only
\nsaid that it was more important to think of serving the country
\nrather than thinking of \"what we can become.\"<\/p>\n
\"I have been accompanying Pak Harto in the field of technology
\nfor 22 years and 10 months. That for me is honor enough and I am
\ngrateful. As for other matters, well, people can plan but Allah
\nwill decide,\" said German-educated Habibie.<\/p>\n
While most political observers are more or less convinced that
\n75-year-old Soeharto is likely to be nominated and elected for a
\nseventh consecutive presidential term, the vice presidency
\nremains a big question mark.<\/p>\n
Golkar has also neglected to specify criteria, as they did for
\nthe presidency, for persons whom they think qualified.<\/p>\n
Apart from Habibie, Golkar chief and Minister of Information
\nHarmoko is sometimes said to be vice presidential candidate.<\/p>\n
Members of the People's Consultative Assembly will gather in
\n1998 to choose the next president and vice president.<\/p>\n
During yesterday's session, Habibie continued to dodge the
\nquestion, saying it's better \"to look at where we are at now and
\nsee what we can do to improve things from that position.\"<\/p>\n
During his presentation, Habibie also tried to appease
\nconcerns about possible competition between ICMI and the
\npesantren.<\/p>\n
He argued that as a strong Islamic force in the country, ICMI
\nwill not compete with but rather complement Islamic institutions.<\/p>\n
One of the executives of the pesantren association, Yusuf
\nMuhammad, who acted as moderator in yesterday's discussion with
\nHabibie, closed the talks with a prayer that the minister may be
\nmore useful to the nation in the future. (mds)<\/p>",
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