PAN to se;ect vice presidential candidate<\/p>\n
Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi<\/p>\n
The criteria for the selection of a vice presidential candidate
\nwill highlight the three-day national meeting of the National
\nMandate Party (PAN) here, which will begin on Monday.<\/p>\n
"As the presidential candidate position has been decided
\nalready, PAN will seek somebody as the running mate of Amien
\nRais. The meeting will determine the requirements and criteria
\nfor the person," PAN's deputy chairman Mohammad Asikin said over
\nthe weekend.<\/p>\n
Amien, the PAN chairman and the People's Consultative Assembly
\nspeaker, has been declared the party's presidential candidate.<\/p>\n
Asikin, who is House of Representatives legislator, said the
\nselection of the vice presidential candidate would be up to the
\nPAN's provincial chapters.<\/p>\n
Every provincial chapter has the right to propose its own
\ncandidate, and the candidate will be selected in accordance with
\nthe criteria that will be set during the national meeting.<\/p>\n
According to PAN's deputy secretary Abdul Hadi Jamal, the vice
\npresidential candidate could be from another political party.<\/p>\n
"We are ready to form a coalition with other parties, so that
\nthe vice presidential candidate may come from another group.
\nHowever, those parties must be in agreement with us on our
\nposition regarding the reform movement," said Hadi, referring to
\ncivil society, rule of law and the anticorruption drive the
\nnation has been struggling for since the fall of Soeharto in May
\n1998.<\/p>\n
Hadi said that Jusuf Kalla, the Coordinating Minister for
\nSocial Welfare and a Golkar Party figure, could likely become a
\nfavorite as a vice presidential candidate for PAN.<\/p>\n
Golkar Party was formerly the political vehicle of New Order
\nunder Soeharto, who ruled for 32 years.<\/p>\n
However, Hadi said Kalla's affiliation with Golkar did not
\nmatter to PAN.<\/p>\n
"He is known as a national figure with an excellent reputation
\nand abilities. He helped resolve sectarian conflicts in the
\nregions, especially Ambon and Poso," said Hadi, referring to
\nbloody conflicts between Muslims and Christians that claimed
\n8,000 lives and forced hundreds of thousands of others to take
\nrefuge between 1999 and 2002.<\/p>\n
Upon arrival at Hasanuddin airport here on Sunday morning,
\nAmien had a conversation with Kalla, who happened to visit his
\nhometown Makassar.<\/p>\n
"It was an unscheduled meeting, and there was no political
\ndeal reached between us," Amien said.<\/p>\n
Besides discussing the criteria for the vice presidential
\ncandidate, PAN will also decide on an overall strategy for the
\n2004 general elections and programs to offer during the election
\ncampaign.<\/p>\n
The event will take place at the Hotel Sahid here, and will be
\nattended by some 2,000 participants from 30 provincial chapters
\nand 360 regental branches.<\/p>",
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