MPR should have 'more than one' president nominee<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Even as support grows for incumbent President
\nSoeharto's renomination for the 1998\/2003 presidency, calls began
\nyesterday that the nation be given alternatives.<\/p>\n
Two political observers and a cabinet minister agreed in
\nseparate interviews that next year's presidential election would
\nbe even more democratic if it involved more than one candidate.<\/p>\n
Soehardjo of Diponegoro University in Semarang, former
\nminister of finance Frans Seda and Minister of Defense Edi
\nSudradjat were commenting on Monday's proposal by the chief of
\nthe dominant Golkar faction at the House of Representatives,
\nMoestahid Astari, that Golkar formally announce Soeharto as its
\ncandidate for the presidency next March.<\/p>\n
"I think it will be all right if members of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) name other people besides Soeharto.
\nWe live in a democratic country, where expressing different
\nopinions is not forbidden," Soehardjo said in Semarang yesterday.<\/p>\n
Frans Seda, the first Indonesian finance minister under the
\nNew Order government in the mid-1960s, challenged the other
\nfactions in the Assembly to announce their own presidential
\ncandidates.<\/p>\n
"A president represents all elements of society. Each MPR
\nfaction, therefore, should come forward with their own
\npresidential candidate," he told reporters after addressing a
\nseminar on national leadership held by the Institute for
\nManagement Education and Development yesterday.<\/p>\n
"Whether all factions eventually nominate the same person is
\nnot a problem. What's important is that they're all given the
\nopportunity to name their own candidates," he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Minister of Defense Edi Sudradjat said it would be
\nup to the Assembly whether it would name more than one
\npresidential candidate.<\/p>\n
Frans Seda also suggested yesterday that the new president be
\nelected through voting in order to guarantee the "constitutional
\nvalidity" of the process.<\/p>\n
He did not elaborate.<\/p>\n
Indonesians stress the importance of deliberation to achieve
\nconsensus in decision-making, whereas voting is frowned upon as
\nit smacks of Western decision-making methods.<\/p>\n
Edi said there was nothing wrong with Moestahid Astari's
\nproposal to have Golkar announce Soeharto as its candidate as
\nsoon as possible.<\/p>\n
He said the proposal was still acceptable under Indonesia's
\npolitical ethics.<\/p>\n
Separately, Golkar's deputy chairman Agung Laksono maintained
\nyesterday the organization's support for President Soeharto's
\nrenomination.<\/p>\n
"We have several names of presidential candidates, but only
\nSoeharto meets the requirements," he told reporters at the
\nIndonesian Young Generation for Reform national congress here
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
He told the press not to make an issue out of Moestahid's
\nproposal, saying that it was not extraordinary.<\/p>\n
"We (Golkar members) have the same... feeling about the
\npresidential nomination," he said.<\/p>\n
Another political observer of Diponegoro University, Susilo
\nUtomo, suggested that Golkar also announce its vice presidential
\ncandidate.<\/p>\n
"Pak Harto is the dominant candidate for the presidency.
\nWhat's left is for Golkar to come up with a person who can work
\nwith Soeharto for the next term," he said.<\/p>\n
He mentioned State Minister of Research and Technology B.J.
\nHabibie, former vice president Sudharmono, incumbent Vice
\nPresident Try Sutrisno and State Minister of National Development
\nPlanning Ginandjar Kartasasmita as eligible vice presidential
\ncandidates. (har\/amd\/imn)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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