Nation want Soeharto: Harmoko<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Golkar announced yesterday that it was fully
\nconvinced that the nation still wanted incumbent President
\nSoeharto to lead the nation for another five years.<\/p>\n
Chairman Harmoko told reporters that the political group had
\nconducted a survey to test the aspirations of the people before
\ncoming to the conclusion.<\/p>\n
"It was obvious that nobody has said `no' to our sole
\npresidential candidate. We must acknowledge the masses' will,"
\nHarmoko, fresh from completing his traditional "Ramadhan Safari"
\ntour of the regions, told reporters at Golkar headquarters.<\/p>\n
"I believe a great fighter like President Soeharto will not
\nwalk away from national duties," he said, reaffirming Golkar's
\ndecision to nominate Soeharto in the election next month.<\/p>\n
Harmoko said Golkar conducted the inquiry in response to
\nSoeharto's request last October that Golkar reconsider its
\ndecision before formally nominating him.<\/p>\n
He said he would inform Soeharto of Golkar's decision soon.<\/p>\n
Soeharto, 76, chairs Golkar's powerful board of patrons.<\/p>\n
The President has not announced whether or not he intends to
\nrun for a seventh term. His only public statement on the subject
\nwas when he asked that Golkar reconsider its decision before
\nformally announcing its nomination.<\/p>\n
Golkar's announcement comes in the wake of calls from certain
\nquarters for a new president, in view of the increasing
\nchallenges facing the nation and of concerns about the health and
\nage of the incumbent leader.<\/p>\n
Soeharto's eldest daughter, Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, who is
\nalso a senior executive of Golkar, said last month that she
\nwished to see her father retire after a long service to the
\nnation at the expense of his family.<\/p>\n
Hardiyanti added, however, that she believed her father would
\nnever shirk his responsibility to the country and that he would
\nremain president if the nation wanted him to.<\/p>\n
Harmoko said yesterday that he appreciated the motions, but
\nreiterated that Golkar's decision was definite.<\/p>\n
Golkar's faction in the People's Consultative Assembly, which
\nholds 588 of the 1,000 seats, was prepared to fight for
\nSoeharto's reelection next March, he said.<\/p>\n
"This was not an instant decision. It was the result of a
\nprocess that began in 1996 when we set the criteria for the
\npresidential candidates," Harmoko said.<\/p>\n
"That's why we have not put pressure on President Soeharto or
\nturned him into a cult figure."<\/p>\n
Golkar, which won the general election in May with an
\noverwhelming 74.5 percent of the votes, is the only faction so
\nfar to have officially announced its presidential candidate.<\/p>\n
The other four factions, including the powerful Armed Forces,
\nhave until March 8 to declare their candidates.<\/p>\n
Earlier yesterday, Golkar's labor wing SOKSI confirmed its
\nfull support for Soeharto's reelection, and demanded that the
\nAssembly confer him with the title of Bapak Pembaruan (Father of
\nReformation), for his key role in bringing the country to
\nprogress.<\/p>\n
"There is no denying that various developments we are now
\nenjoying are the fruits of the people's hard work under a leader
\nwho has a vision beyond the future, namely Soeharto," SOKSI
\nchairman Suhardiman said.<\/p>\n
Suhardiman met Assembly deputy speaker Poedjono Pranjoto to
\ndeclare the group's position.<\/p>\n
In 1983, the Assembly conferred the title of Bapak Pembangunan
\n(Father of Development) to Soeharto in recognition for bringing
\nthe nation out of abject poverty.<\/p>\n
Suhardiman said SOKSI firmly believed that Soeharto was the
\nright person to pull Indonesia out of its economic crisis.<\/p>\n
"Only death, and his own desire to step down, will change our
\ndetermination to support him," he said.<\/p>\n
He predicted that if Soeharto extended his tenure in March, he
\ncould exercise the extra power given by the Assembly to cope with
\nthe monetary crisis and to groom a successor.<\/p>\n
The Assembly has drafted a decree which would give the
\npresident an overriding power to prompt any necessary measures
\nwhen the country is in danger. (amd)<\/p>\n
Megawati --- Page 2<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nation-want-soeharto-harmoko-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }