MPR factions eyeing vacant VP position<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Following the unanimous appointment of Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri as the new President on Monday, the major factions
\nin the People's Consultative Assembly will be fighting tooth and
\nnail for the vacant vice presidency over the next two days.<\/p>\n
Following the announcement by Assembly Speaker Amien Rais that
\nthe special session would proceed with the election of a new vice
\npresident on Tuesday and Wednesday, several names have been put
\nforward to fill in the vacant post.<\/p>\n
Both the Golkar Party and the United Development Party (PPP),
\nthe second and third largest factions in the Assembly
\nrespectively, have nominated their own candidates for the number
\ntwo position in the government.<\/p>\n
\"The election of a vice president will involve a fierce fight
\namong the political parties but it is expected that it will be
\nconducted in a democratic manner,\" Amien said following the
\ninauguration of newly appointed President Megawati Soekarnoputri
\non Monday.<\/p>\n
Amien, who is also the chairman of the National Mandate Party
\n(PAN), claimed that he personally had no ambition to become vice
\npresident.<\/p>\n
\"My main task is to ensure the democratic election of a new
\nvice president, and to encourage the political parties to arrive
\nat a political compromise on this matter,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Akbar Tandjung, the Speaker of the House of Representatives
\nand chairman of the Golkar Party, said he was ready to be
\nnominated for the vice presidency if his candidacy won the
\nsupport of other factions in the Assembly.<\/p>\n
\"I have consideration the matter. I'm ready to be nominated
\nfor the vice presidential position and to cooperate with
\nPresident Megawati in running the next government,\" he said
\nreferring to a Golkar Party meeting last week that supported his
\ncandidacy.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that he had discussed his candidacy with
\nTaufik Kiemas, Megawati's husband, in the hope that Taufik would
\ncommunicate it to Megawati.<\/p>\n
\"Such lobbying is needed to win the support of the newly
\nappointed President,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Mahadi Sinambela, deputy secretary-general of Golkar, said his
\nparty was intensively lobbying the other political parties and
\nthe military\/police faction to win their support for Akbar's
\ncandidacy.<\/p>\n
\"We are seeking the support of the Indonesian Democratic Party
\nof Struggle (PDI Perjuangan). We have lobbied the Crescent Star
\nParty (PBB), which has pledged its support for Akbar's candidacy,
\nwhile PAN has yet to give its response,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Ali Marwan Hanan, the secretary-general of PPP,
\nacknowledged that his party would nominate Hamzah Haz, the
\nparty's chairman, to work with Megawati in leading the nation.<\/p>\n
\"PPP will nominate Hamzah and we are lobbying other parties,
\nincluding PDI Perjuangan, PAN, PBB and others,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Besides Akbar and Hamzah, the names of Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono and Wiranto, former coordinating ministers for
\npolitical, social and security affairs, and Siswono Yudhohusodo,
\nchairman of the Farmers and Fishermen Association (HKTI), as well
\nas Yuzril Ihza Mahendra, chairman of PBB, have been suggested as
\nother strong contenders for the vice presidency.<\/p>\n
The candidacy of Susilo Bambang is being promoted by four
\nvocational groups. They are the Indonesian Engineers Association
\n(PII), the All Indonesian Tourism and Hotel Workers' Cooperative
\n(Koperti), the Indonesian Ulema's and Islamic Boarding School
\nForum (Fesuti), and the Community of National Technology Alumni
\n(Kelatnas).<\/p>\n
\"As a former top military officer, he will be capable of
\nresolving the country's disintegration problem ... Pak Susilo is
\nalso a gentle and kind person,\" Fesuti's secretary-general Hamdan
\nRasyid told the press.<\/p>\n
Hamdan also revealed that they would meet Assembly leaders on
\nTuesday to convey their support for Susilo Bambang. (rms\/tso)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mpr-factions-eyeing-vacant-vp-position-1447893297",
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