PAN names Amien presidential candidate<\/p>\n
BANDUNG (JP): The National Mandate Party (PAN) officially
\nnominated its chairman Amien Rais its presidential candidate on
\nFriday, and vowed at the end of its congress here to win up to 35
\npercent of the vote in the general election next June.<\/p>\n
Amien told a media briefing: \"With all humbleness and a sense
\nof responsibility...Insya Allah (God willing), I accept the
\nnomination.\"<\/p>\n
When asked for comment over the possibility of President B.J.
\nHabibie seeking another term, Amien said it was the President's
\nprerogative.<\/p>\n
\"If he wants to seek the presidency again and run, it would be
\ndifficult for us to avoid that situation. But he would have to be
\nready to compete with other candidates including myself, Megawati
\n(Soekarnoputri)...\" he said.<\/p>\n
However, \"I suggest that he does not run, because he's a mere
\nextension of (former president) Soeharto. He should not (involve
\nhimself) in developing the future, because we're going to need
\nsomething really new for the future,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Amien said that if he were elected president, he would
\nprioritize the implementation of two tenets of the state ideology
\nPancasila, namely \"a just and civilized humanity\" and \"social
\njustice for all.\"<\/p>\n
He also promised to develop and nurture democracy, and hold on
\nto some universal principles, including one that ensures that the
\nmasses control their leaders. \"My second principle would be
\nfreedom of speech, freedom of faith, freedom from (want of) basic
\nneeds, and freedom from fear,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The three-day congress was attended by 500 party executives
\nfrom all 27 chapters and more than 300 branches across Indonesia.
\nMost of its sessions were closed to the press, and participants
\ndiscussed, among other things, strategies to win the poll.<\/p>\n
The party also issued a political statement on, among other
\nthings, the campaign for reform. The party warned against
\n\"antireform\" forces which were still solid.<\/p>\n
\"They are still working to obstruct the goals and direction of
\nthe reform movement,\" Amien said, but did not elaborate.<\/p>\n
Amien was accompanied by party officials including secretary-
\ngeneral Faisal Basri, deputy chairmen Abdillah Thoha and A.M.
\nFatwa, and advisors Taufik Abdullah and Maj. Gen. (ret) Soewarno
\nAdiwidjojo.<\/p>\n
Abdillah Thoha said the party's priority now was to make the
\nelections a success. \"After that, we'll see whether there are
\nother parties with similar vision, with whom we can form a
\ncoalition to bring Pak Amien to the presidency,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, commenting on Amien's nomination, chairman of the
\nUnited Development Party (PPP) Hamzah Haz said it was \"normal\"
\nfor any political party to nominate their leader for president.<\/p>\n
However, he pointed out that many difficulties lay ahead as
\nthe elections would be contested by many political parties.<\/p>\n
\"Let's just wait and see the results of the upcoming
\nelections,\" he told journalists after chairing a plenary session
\nof the PPP House of Representatives faction.<\/p>\n
Although more than 100 parties have been established since
\nMay, the government has predicted -- due to stringent
\nrequirements the parties will have to meet -- that only 30
\nparties will make the ballot paper.<\/p>\n
So, Hamzah said: \"We don't even know how many percent (of the
\nvotes) our party is going to get... but one thing is for sure,
\nthat there'll be no single party that can win 60 percent
\n(required for a party to make its chairman president).\"<\/p>\n
\"So this means there'll be a coalition... and no party can go
\nit alone in the campaign for its candidate,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Hamzah also said that as a political party chairman he would
\nbe ready to be nominated a president.<\/p>\n
\"But, please let's not become takabur,\" he said, referring to
\nan Arabic term for arrogant. (43\/aan)<\/p>",
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