Soeharto still irreplaceable: Political scientist<\/p>\n
SEMARANG (JP): President Soeharto is irreplaceable as the
\nfigure responsible for uniting Indonesia and should therefore be
\nre-elected when his current term ends in 1998, a political
\nscholar says.<\/p>\n
\"The present social conditions of the country are precarious
\nto the nation's unity, given the conflicts between various
\ninterest groups,\" Soegito Soedradjat of the University of
\nDiponegoro said yesterday. \"Soeharto's leadership is still needed
\nby the nation.\"<\/p>\n
Soegito's remarks came after another political scientist last
\nweek predicted that the 73-year-old incumbent would likely stay
\nin power beyond 1998, when his current sixth five-year term ends.<\/p>\n
Riswandha Imawan of the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada
\nUniversity based his predictions on the conflicts between various
\ninterest groups jockeying for positions ahead of the 1998
\npresidential election. Three years prior to the election and the
\nsituation has almost intensified to the point of ruling out any
\npresidential succession, Riswandha argued.<\/p>\n
Soegito said yesterday that Indonesia still cannot find a
\nfigure as capable as President Soeharto to unite the nation.
\n\"That's why we should ask the President to continue leading the
\nnation after 1998. That is, of course, if he's willing.\"<\/p>\n
He also doubted the likelihood of finding a leader with the
\nwisdom of President Soeharto. \"What the nation needs to do now is
\ngroom various figures to obtain leadership qualities and wisdom,
\nequal, or at least close, to those possessed by Soeharto.\"<\/p>\n
If the leadership goes to someone of a lower caliber,
\nIndonesia could be doomed to follow the same paths of Yugoslavia
\nand the Soviet Union took and risk disintegration. \"Of course,
\nnobody wants that to happen in Indonesia,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Interests<\/p>\n
Soegito said that most of today's leaders in Indonesia still
\nthink only of the interests of their own group or region. None of
\nthem have shown an interest in thinking in terms of the entire
\nnation, a key feature of the way Soeharto has been leading the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Barring any health problems, he believes that Soeharto's love
\nfor the country will compel him once again to remain in power.<\/p>\n
Soeharto has been elected six times unopposed since 1968.<\/p>\n
Talk of his succession in the People's Consultative Assembly
\nwas rife following his reappointment in the 1993 elections, with
\nsome even suggesting that the President might decide to step down
\nmidway through his current term.<\/p>\n
The debate subsided after Golkar, the ruling political group,
\nsaid that any talks of succession should be postponed until some
\ntime closer to 1998. The President himself has stayed out of the
\ndebate and has not revealed his intentions publicly. (har\/emb)<\/p>",
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