Has Soeharto's speech returned ahead of Tutut's comeback?
\nJP\/2\/ELECTION
\nTutut's comeback may have a boomerang effect: Analyst<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The return of Soeharto's eldest daughter to the political
\nstage may backfire if the issue of the former president's ability
\nto speak, and to face the law for charges of corruption, comes
\ninto question, an analyst says.<\/p>\n
Daniel Sparingga from the Surabaya-based Airlangga University
\nwas referring Sunday to reports quoting a founder of a new
\npolitical party, which is asking Siti Hadiyanti Rukmana to be its
\npresidential candidate.<\/p>\n
The founder, former army chief of staff Gen. (ret) Hartono,
\nhad cited his conversation on Nov. 24 with Soeharto, conveying
\nthe desire of \"the people\" and mainly members of his party that
\nthe businesswoman \"come to the forefront.\"<\/p>\n
Soeharto, he said, had replied, \"Think about it first.\"
\nEarlier this year the Attorney General's Office said it could no
\nlonger continue legal proceedings against Soeharto, who was
\ncharged of embezzling state funds of some US$500 million, citing
\nresults of a medical examination. Doctors had confirmed his
\ninability to speak, citing among other reasons, minor strokes.<\/p>\n
\"I guess it will also be 'a boomerang' for them as they said
\nthat Tutut's nomination was due to 'an order' from Soeharto,\"
\nDaniel said, \"The public -- who previously 'pardoned' him (given
\nhis reported health condition) -- will again ask whether he
\nseriously faces health problems. And if he does not, we will have
\nto continue processing him before the law.\"<\/p>\n
Tutut has yet to officially respond to the request from the
\nConcern for the Nation Functional Party (PKPB), one of the
\nparties declared eligible to contest next year's elections.<\/p>\n
She has told the press that she wants to be judged
\nobjectively, not as \"Soeharto's daughter\".<\/p>\n
Daniel shared observations that the comeback of Tutut, popular
\nalso for her display of concern for the poor, is an indication
\nthat the New Order has far from collapsed since Soeharto quit the
\npresidency in 1998. Tutut was a former minister of people's
\nwelfare.<\/p>\n
Despite Hartono's claim, former president Abdurrahman \"Gus
\nDur\" Wahid said Sunday that Tutut would not likely get her
\nfather's blessing as a presidential candidate. Gus Dur also once
\nappeared to be Tutut's political ally,<\/p>\n
\"I know pak Harto well. He is the kind of man who will never
\ndo something if he is not sure of the results,\" Gus Dur said as
\nquoted by detik.com news-wire, while attending an international
\ndialog on diversity in Bali.<\/p>\n
\"And I believe that Tutut will not run for the presidency
\nunless she has talked to me about the plan,\" he added, claiming
\nthat \"we were once so close to each other.\"<\/p>\n
Late in 1990s, Gus Dur along with Tutut toured several Islamic
\nboarding schools belonging to his organization, Nahdlatul Ulama
\n(NU), across East Java. Gus Dur had said that Tutut \"is the
\nfuture leader of the country.\" He earlier chaired the 40-million
\nstrong NU, the country's largest Muslim organization.<\/p>\n
Hartono's party has to win at least 5 percent of total votes
\nin the upcoming legislative election, scheduled for April 5,
\n2004, or 3 percent of seats at the legislature to be able to
\nfield a candidate in the presidential election scheduled for
\nJuly.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile President Megawati Soekarnoputri seems to be
\nremaining upbeat about her chances. Her husband Taufik Kiemas
\nsaid Tutut could not be considered a competitor to the President.<\/p>\n
\"She (Megawati) remains optimistic. She was appointed by her
\nparty to run for the presidency in 2004 and thus there was no way
\nto back down,\" Taufik said.<\/p>\n
Surveys conducted by a number of research agencies suggest
\nthat support for Megawati has ebbed, but she remains the
\nstrongest candidate among presidential aspirants.<\/p>\n
Taufik brushed aside suggestions that Tutut's candidacy was
\ndue to the failure of Megawati's administration in pursuing the
\nreform movement.<\/p>\n
\"People should be fair in appraising the performance of the
\ncurrent administration and not draw conclusions just like that,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>",
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