'Soeharto fits Golkar's criteria'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The ruling political organization Golkar did
\nnot necessarily refer to incumbent President Soeharto when it
\nannounced a set of criteria for the next president, according
\nto political observer Rudini.<\/p>\n
Rudini, who is also a former home affairs minister, said
\nyesterday he was sure the major political grouping must have had
\nmore than one presidential candidate in mind when it drew up the
\nnine-point criteria for assuming the presidency.<\/p>\n
\"Golkar must have considered everything that could happen in
\nthe future. That's why it did not mention any names that it would
\nsupport for president,\" Rudini said in his office.<\/p>\n
\"Golkar wouldn't want to take any risks. What if it named only
\none candidate and then something wrong happened to this person,\"
\nsaid the chairman of the Institute for Strategic Studies of
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
In its political statement delivered during its 32nd
\nanniversary Sunday, Golkar said the future president must have
\nvision on how to maintain unity in this very diverse nation. The
\nperson must also be accepted by all groups in society, possess
\nleadership qualities recognized both at home and abroad, and be
\nexperienced in implementing the ideals of the New Order
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
The political statement did not mention age as a criteria.<\/p>\n
However, Rudini conceded that President Soeharto would still
\noccupy the highest position on the nomination list.<\/p>\n
\"Pak Harto meets all the requirements set by Golkar,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Rudini said opportunities still abound for other people.<\/p>\n
\"We can believe that Golkar must have prepared several other
\nnames as candidates for the presidency,\" he said. \"The person
\noccupying the first position would become president, while the
\nsecond on the list would become vice president.\"<\/p>\n
He predicted that Golkar would still win next year's general
\nelection, with at least 65 percent of votes.<\/p>\n
Golkar chairman Harmoko said yesterday that the political
\ngrouping's criteria for a vice president would be based on the
\n1945 Constitution.<\/p>\n
\"The most important thing is that (the candidate) must be able
\nto cooperate with the elected president,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He declined to explain further, saying only that the criteria
\nand candidates for vice president would be prepared only after a
\nnew president was elected in 1998.<\/p>\n
\"Golkar will only name its candidate for the presidency
\nthrough its faction at the House of Representatives,\" he said.
\n\"Later, all factions in the House will discuss possible
\ncandidates for vice president with the elected president.\"<\/p>\n
Harmoko, who is also minister of information, dismissed
\nspeculations that President Soeharto, should he be reelected for
\na seventh term in 1998, would resign before the five-year term
\nended.<\/p>\n
\"In my opinion, Pak Harto would complete his mandatory five-
\nyear term,\" Harmoko said.<\/p>\n
\"However, there's no need to worry. Golkar's candidates for
\nvice president would be people with the capacity to step into
\npresidency anytime,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He insisted that the post of vice president was by no means
\nless meaningful than that of the president.<\/p>\n
\"We should not differentiate between the posts of president
\nand vice president, as both are governed by the Constitution,\" he
\nsaid. \"The vice president plays an important role, because his
\nfunction is to supervise senior government officials.\"<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, another statement of support for the renomination
\nof President Soeharto was given yesterday. Yesterday, executives
\nof the Indonesian Builders Association asked President Soeharto
\nto indicate his willingness to be renominated in the general
\nmeeting of the People's Consultative Assembly.<\/p>\n
The body will convene in 1998 to elect a president and vice
\npresident, and to endorse the State Policy Guidelines for 1998-
\n2003.<\/p>\n
\"We are ready to make the general election next year a success
\nand to ensure that national leadership remains in the hands of
\nthe New Order government,\" the association said.<\/p>\n
\"We therefore asked President Soeharto to indicate his
\nwillingness to be renominated,\" chairman Agus G. Kartasasmita
\ntold reporters after meeting President Soeharto at Merdeka
\nPalace.<\/p>\n
A number of Golkar-affiliated mass organizations and
\nindividuals, including a number of cabinet ministers, had
\nexpressed their support for Soeharto's renomination.<\/p>\n
When asked about Soeharto's response, Agus said that the
\nPresident only nodded and smiled. (imn)<\/p>\n
Editorial -- Page 4<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/soeharto-fits-golkars-criteria-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }