Parties reject demand to name VP candidates<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's three political organizations cold-
\nshouldered yesterday the growing calls that they name their vice
\npresidential candidates now rather than wait until after the
\npresidential election in March.<\/p>\n
The dominant Golkar and the minority United Development Party
\n(PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) gave different
\nreasons for their stance, but agreed it would be useless to name
\nany candidates now only to have them rejected by the elected
\npresident.<\/p>\n
"We'll name our candidate through democratic and
\nconstitutional procedures, so let's wait and see," said Golkar
\nchairman Harmoko. "We'll name our candidate in March."<\/p>\n
"It's no use naming our candidate early only to witness the
\nelected president say no," said PPP deputy chairman Jusuf Syakir.<\/p>\n
PDI secretary-general Buttu Hutapea said he was unsure that
\nthe party leaders would announce their vice presidential nominees
\nwhen they meet in mid-February.<\/p>\n
"It will depend on how the meeting develops. If the majority
\nvote in favor of the announcement, we will name our candidate. Or
\nelse, we will defer the job of announcing the name to our
\nchairman," Buttu said.<\/p>\n
He said the party had so far accepted seven names put forward
\nby the PDI. They are incumbent Try Sutrisno, Minister of
\nInformation R. Hartono, Harmoko, State Minister of National
\nDevelopment Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita, State Minister of
\nResearch and Technology B.J. Habibie, Army Chief of Staff Gen.
\nWiranto and businesswoman Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, who is
\nSoeharto's eldest daughter.<\/p>\n
Kosgoro, a cooperatives wing of Golkar, nominated Wednesday
\nincumbent Try Sutrisno, Harmoko, R. Hartono and Ginandjar
\nKartasasmita for the vice presidency.<\/p>\n
Soeharto confirmed Tuesday his readiness to be nominated for
\nhis seventh consecutive term. Though some people have stated
\ntheir willingness to be nominated, it has been a foregone
\nconclusion that Soeharto would run unchallenged.<\/p>\n
The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) is responsible for
\nelecting a president and vice president. However, in the past
\nelections under the New Order administration, it was Soeharto,
\nwith the assistance of an extraparliamentary group, who chose the
\nvice president.<\/p>\n
The economic crisis which has affected Indonesia since mid
\n1997 has led many people to believe that it was sparked, among
\nothers, by uncertainty on how the country would fare post-
\nSoeharto.<\/p>\n
Many analysts have said it is imperative that the five MPR
\nfactions -- Golkar, PPP, PDI, the Armed Forces and the regional
\nrepresentatives -- name their vice presidential candidates to
\nalleviate political uncertainty which has led to market crashes.<\/p>\n
Succession<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council, Sudomo, said
\npolitical organizations should have named their vice presidential
\ncandidates since election campaigning in April last year.<\/p>\n
"It (naming the candidates) would have helped avoid
\nuncertainty about the state leadership succession," he said.<\/p>\n
"After all, it would be better if the voters know who would be
\ntheir president and vice president, before they voted for any
\npolitical organizations in the general elections," he said.<\/p>\n
He said: "The vice president must have a vision for the future
\nand last but not least, the capability to make a decision."<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Hartono said Golkar's criteria that the next vice
\npresident should be able to master technology did not narrow the
\nfield to only certain figures.<\/p>\n
"God willing, there are people who meet the criteria... maybe
\neven more than one," he was quoted by Antara as saying during a
\nbreaking of the fast gathering at his residence yesterday.<\/p>\n
He said the criteria could refer to a person who masters
\ntechnology, but could also mean someone who could manage people
\nwho master technology.<\/p>\n
"What the person needs is a vision of technology, not
\nnecessarily mastery in technology," said Hartono, adding that an
\nimportant vice presidential criteria was the ability to unify
\nthis diverse country.<\/p>\n
Golkar's statement that a vice president should master
\ntechnology led many people to believe that it was Habibie.<\/p>\n
Separately, political observers Arbi Sanit of the University
\nof Indonesia and Nurdien H.K. of the Semarang-based Diponegoro
\nUniversity, and labor leader Wilhelmus Bokha supported an early
\nannouncement of vice presidential candidates.<\/p>\n
Arbi, a lecturer at the School of Social and Political
\nSciences, agreed with State Minister of Environment Sarwono
\nKusumaatmadja who said Wednesday the Assembly should do it "now".<\/p>\n
Arbi said proposing criteria for a vice president would not
\nhelp solve the crisis of confidence in the government, which had
\ncaused the economy to dip to its lowest level.<\/p>\n
Nurdien said that because Golkar failed to name its vice
\npresidential candidates, "there was an impression that Golkar was
\nundecided and confused... this only caused the market to
\nspeculate."<\/p>\n
Bokha of the Federation of All-Indonesian Workers Union
\n(FSPSI) said people need "both political and psychological
\ncertainty" on who will be the country's next leader.
\n(har\/aan\/amd\/imn\/swe)<\/p>",
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