PPP nominates Habibie<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party (PPP) formally
\nendorsed B.J. Habibie yesterday for the vice presidency and
\ndropped its boss, Ismail Hasan Metareum, from the candidates
\nlist.<\/p>\n
The Moslem-oriented party's choice is understood to boost
\nHabibie's chance to clinch the position for the 1998\/2003 term.<\/p>\n
"Eventually, we decided to come up with a single candidate for
\nthe vice presidency, Pak (Mr.) Habibie," Metareum said after
\npresiding over the PPP leadership meeting in a Central Jakarta
\nhotel.<\/p>\n
Habibie, now the state minister for research and technology,
\nhas secured support from the government-backed Golkar. The
\npowerful Armed Forces (ABRI) faction also hinted last week it
\nwould back him.<\/p>\n
Beside Habibie, Golkar also put forward its chairman Harmoko,
\nwhose other hat is speaker of the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
The minority Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) has not
\nannounced its choice but Habibie is among figures on its
\nunofficial list of preferences.<\/p>\n
Fatimah Achmad, chairwoman of the House's PDI faction, said
\nlast night that she, PDI chief Soerjadi and Secretary-General
\nButtu Hutapea met with Habibie yesterday to discuss the party's
\npreferences. She said PDI would officially announce its
\ncandidate(s) today.<\/p>\n
PPP also reaffirmed its support for Soeharto for president,
\nwhich it formally announced on Jan. 23.<\/p>\n
The party has 133 representatives in the 1,000-strong People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR). The dominant Golkar has 585 members
\nand the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) 16. The rest are
\nrepresentatives of the military, regions, and various groups --
\nwhich are understood to be Golkar supporters.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto, who has been in power for 32 years, is set
\nto retain his post for the seventh consecutive term in the
\nAssembly's general sessions scheduled from March 1 to March 11.<\/p>\n
All three political organizations, Golkar, PPP and PDI -- as
\nwell as the Armed Forces -- have announced their strong support
\nfor Soeharto's renomination. No contender has emerged.<\/p>\n
Metareum decision to pick Habibie was based on a set of
\nadditional criteria that President Soeharto gave him, such as
\n"able to maintain national unity, assist the President and be a
\nmaster in science and technology."<\/p>\n
"The President did not mention any names but we believe that
\nHabibie is the figure who meets most of the requirements," he
\nsaid, adding that Habibie has accepted the backing.<\/p>\n
On party executives' decision to remove his name from the list
\nof vice presidential candidates, Metareum said he was aware that
\nHabibie met the criteria better than he did.<\/p>\n
Metareum, who is also a deputy House speaker, won praise from
\nparty supporters when he said he would run for the vice
\npresidency.<\/p>\n
Some observers have speculated that Metareum's decision to bow
\nout has to do with the fact that he is a member of the
\nAssociation of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI), which
\nHabibie chairs.<\/p>\n
But Metareum denied it, saying that what PPP leaders had in
\nmind was the best for the country.<\/p>\n
He also brushed aside fears that Habibie's vice presidential
\ncandidacy would be met with negative reactions from the
\ninternational stock markets, resulting in another plunge in the
\nvalue of the rupiah as happened recently.<\/p>\n
He said he was aware of critics' objections to Habibie
\nbecoming vice president because the minister is often accused of
\n"wasting the state budget on megaprojects".<\/p>\n
Last week, Habibie hit back at Singapore's former prime
\nminister, Lee Kuan Yew, who warned that Indonesia's choice for
\nvice president would be crucial to its efforts to overcome the
\nworsening economic crisis.<\/p>\n
Metareum also lashed out yesterday at the former prime
\nminister's comments.<\/p>\n
"If we are fascinated by such statements, we will never be
\nable to choose our own leaders. Vice presidency has nothing to do
\nwith dollars and we don't heed Lee Kuan Yew's views," he said to
\nthe thunderous applaud of the PPP leaders at the meeting.<\/p>\n
When asked if the PPP was absolutely sure Habibie would
\neventually win the vice presidency, Metareum said: "What we are
\nsupposed to do is to propose a candidate and whether our
\npreference will be accepted (by the People's Consultative
\nAssembly) is something else."<\/p>\n
Golkar Secretary-General Ary Mardjono said executives from the
\npolitical grouping would come up with only one candidate.<\/p>\n
When the time comes, they will consult the president-elect on
\nwhom he would like to pick, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
"When the president-elect has made his choice, then the
\nunfavored candidate should accept it," he said.<\/p>\n
Ary said Golkar did not want to see a repeat of an incident
\nduring the 1988 Assembly's general sessions in which a vice
\npresidential candidate, H.J. Naro from PPP, refused to step down
\neven though the president-elect had named his choice. (pan\/amd)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ppp-nominates-habibie-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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