Nominate candidates early: Rudini<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Nominations for president and vice president
\nshould be made during the election campaign, from April 27,
\nbecause it will help the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
\nelect the nation's leaders next March, former minister of home
\naffairs Rudini said yesterday.<\/p>\n
"This way, MPR members will know the candidates when the
\nassembly begins," he told reporters yesterday.<\/p>\n
Assuming that President Soeharto would be reelected, Rudini
\nsaid, the People's Consultative Assembly would only need to
\nconsult with Soeharto on vice-presidential candidates.<\/p>\n
He said that announcing candidates now was not illegal because
\nno regulations prohibited.<\/p>\n
The chair of the House Commission I for security and political
\naffairs, Aisyah Aminy, said that naming presidential and vice-
\npresidential candidates was part of political openness.<\/p>\n
"Naming candidates during the election campaign is very
\nimportant for helping people develop political maturity," she
\nsaid in Yogyakarta yesterday after a seminar on campaigning.<\/p>\n
Aisyah said a transparent process to elect a president and
\nvice president was in line with demands for more political
\nopenness.<\/p>\n
"People will then be able to follow all stages of the
\npresidential and vice-presidential elections," she said.<\/p>\n
She said the public could also make suggestion to improve or
\ncorrect the election process.<\/p>\n
The deputy secretary-general of the dominant Golkar, Theo L.
\nSambuaga, said Golkar would not disclose its candidates for the
\npresidency or vice-presidency until the MPR's general session
\nstarts next year.<\/p>\n
"Political parties are supposed to promote their programs in
\nthe election campaign, not name their presidential and vice-
\npresidential candidates," he was quoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
Members of the 1,000-strong MPR will meet in March next year
\nto elect a new president and vice president, and to establish
\nfive-yearly state guidelines.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the House of Representatives' Armed Forces faction
\nSuparman Achmad said it was unethical for political parties to
\nannounce their candidates now, when the President and Vice
\nPresident were still in office.<\/p>\n
"It's not our culture," he said.<\/p>\n
The secretary-general of the influential Association of
\nIndonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI), Adi Sasono, said in
\nSurabaya yesterday that the association would not nominate
\nanybody for the presidency or vice-presidency.<\/p>\n
"ICMI will never jump into practical politics," he said.<\/p>\n
The secretary-general of the General Elections Institute,
\nSuryatna Subrata, said Tuesday the three political groupings were
\nfree to announce their presidential and vice-presidential
\ncandidates during the campaign period.<\/p>\n
The campaign period will start April 27 and end May 23 this
\nyear. There will be a cooling-off period of five days before
\nelection day.<\/p>\n
The secretary-general of the Indonesian Democratic Party,
\nButtu R. Hutapea, said the party had decided to renominate
\nSoeharto for the presidency, and would nominate a candidate for
\nthe vice-presidency at its leadership meeting early next year.
\n(imn\/har)<\/p>\n
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