PPP opts to wait and see on presidential candidate<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Despite prolonged debate, the United Development
\nParty (PPP) failed to agree yesterday on its presidential
\ncandidate and deferred the job of announcing the name to chairman
\nIsmail Hasan Metareum.<\/p>\n
Ismail told a press conference he would announce the party's
\nnominee \"at the right time\". He refused to elaborate, except to
\nsay that the presidential election for the 1998\/2003 period could
\ntake place only next March.<\/p>\n
The decision not to unveil the presidential and vice
\npresidential candidates was unanimously endorsed by party
\nexecutives attending a leadership meeting which ended late Monday
\nnight, according to Ismail.<\/p>\n
\"There were various opinions during the meeting, but finally
\nparty executives gave me the mandate not to announce our
\npresidential candidate,\" Ismail said.<\/p>\n
The meeting was extended a full day until Monday, but even
\nthat was not enough for party leaders to break the deadlock.<\/p>\n
Ismail dismissed yesterday speculations that lingering doubts
\nabout the health of red-hot favorite President Soeharto was
\nbehind PPP's excuse to wait for the right time to announce its
\npresidential candidate.<\/p>\n
\"We all have seen that President Soeharto is healthy. He
\nreceived a number of cabinet ministers while taking a rest,\"
\nIsmail said.<\/p>\n
A team of presidential doctors advised 76-year-old Soeharto on
\nDec. 5 to have a 10-day rest. It was not clear if the rest
\nincluded holidays.<\/p>\n
Support has been growing for Soeharto to take his seventh
\nfive-year term. The dominant Golkar is the only political group
\nto have officially nominated Soeharto.<\/p>\n
The 1,000-strong People's Consultative Assembly will convene
\nhere from March 1 to March 11 to elect a president and a vice
\npresident. The election of a president usually takes place on
\nMarch 10, while the vice presidential election is held the day
\nafter the Assembly's consultation with the elected president.<\/p>\n
PPP deputy chairman Jusuf Syakir said the party's decision was
\na compromise of three options suggested during the meeting.<\/p>\n
He said a provincial branch insisted on nominating popular
\ngovernment critic and chairman of Muhammadiyah Moslem
\norganization Amien Rais for the presidency, six others urged the
\nparty to support incumbent Soeharto and the remaining 20 deferred
\nthe decision to Ismail.<\/p>\n
\"We are trying to avoid a split in the party,\" said Jusuf, who
\nalso leads the PPP faction in the Assembly.<\/p>\n
The Moslem-based party also confirmed its support for its
\nrepresentatives in the Assembly who are presently deliberating
\nthe draft 1998\/2003 State Policy Guidelines.<\/p>\n
\"We ask our representatives to continue their struggle to
\nrelay the party's aspirations on general election rules,
\npolitical reform, exclusion of nondenominational faith from
\nreligious development, and human rights protection,\" PPP
\nsecretary-general Tosari Wijaya read the party's statement.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the monetary crisis, PPP urged the government to
\naccelerate its anticorruption and anticollusion campaign, ease
\nliquidity and cut interest rates.<\/p>\n
The party also urged the government to introduce a law to
\nencourage cooperation between big and small scale businesses,
\ncontrol private loans and ask Indonesians with overseas savings
\nto withdraw their funds for domestic investment. (amd)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ppp-opts-to-wait-and-see-on-presidential-candidate-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}