Soeharto reaffirms his election readiness<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto sailed through a four-
\nquestion interview last night with leaders of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly to formally affirm his readiness to be
\nrenominated.<\/p>\n
Speaker of the Assembly Harmoko and his four deputies -- Lt.
\nGen. Syarwan Hamid of the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction, Abdul
\nGafur of the dominant Golkar, Fatimah Achmad of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party (PDI) and Ismail Hasan Metareum of the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP), questioned Soeharto at the State Palace.<\/p>\n
The interview, as required by the Assembly Decree No. II\/1973,
\nwas the last preliminary step before Soeharto's reelection, which
\nwill be held this morning. According to Harmoko, Soeharto would
\nnot attend the session.<\/p>\n
The five MPR leaders were seated on one side of a table
\nopposite Soeharto. A painting depicting a scene from the
\nindependence war hung on the wall near the leaders, with the
\ninscription: "We shall not retreat even while facing death".<\/p>\n
Like five years ago when Soeharto was about to be renominated
\nto his sixth consecutive term, the 15-minute interview was closed
\nto the media. They were allowed to enter the State Palace waiting
\nroom only after Soeharto left.<\/p>\n
Soeharto was heard to have burst into laughter three times
\nduring the meeting, which began at 7 p.m.<\/p>\n
Afterward, Harmoko held a media briefing, broadcast live by
\nstate-owned TVRI, to disclose the details of the interview.<\/p>\n
Harmoko said he raised four questions with Soeharto which were
\nanswered in the affirmative by the President.<\/p>\n
"We asked Saudara (brother) Haj Muhammad Soeharto whether it
\nwas true that the leaders of factions in the MPR had contacted
\n(him as their) presidential candidate on Sunday," said Harmoko.<\/p>\n
The leaders of the five factions in the Assembly asked the 76-
\nyear-old incumbent President on Sunday to lead the country for a
\nseventh consecutive term.<\/p>\n
"Do you agree with their renomination?" Harmoko questioned.
\nThen he quoted Soeharto as replying: "Yes, I agree".<\/p>\n
The third question was: "Will you be willing to implement the
\nState Policy Guidelines and other decrees set by the People's
\nConsultative Assembly?"<\/p>\n
Soeharto responded: "Yes, I am willing.<\/p>\n
The final question was: "On the even of your election as
\npresident and the holder of the MPR mandate for the 1998\/2003
\nterm of office, will you be willing to say your oath in
\naccordance with Islamic teaching?".<\/p>\n
According to Harmoko, again Soeharto said, "Yes, I am
\nwilling."<\/p>\n
"With this (interview), the renomination of Soeharto as
\nIndonesia's presidential candidate (is declared to have) met all
\nrequirements," Harmoko noted.<\/p>\n
The five factions presented a number of supporting documents
\nfor Soeharto's candidacy, including police testimony of his good
\nconduct, a collection of signatures of Assembly members who agree
\nto nominate him, a proof of citizenship, health certificate and a
\nstatement of the candidate's loyalty to the 1945 Constitution and
\nthe state ideology of Pancasila.<\/p>\n
Similar documents were also being prepared by the Assembly
\nfactions for their nomination of outgoing state minister of
\nresearch and technology B.J. Habibie for the vice presidency.<\/p>\n
Ismail said that all of the five factions will meet Soeharto
\nlater today to consult on the vice presidency. (prb\/byg)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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