Sri Bintang says he will run for presidency<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Controversial politician Sri Bintang Pamungkas
\nannounced yesterday his intention to run for the presidency in
\n1998, and named former student leader Julius Usman as vice
\npresident on his ticket.<\/p>\n
\"A democratic presidential election should have more than one
\ncandidate. I therefore declare myself as one of the candidates
\nfor the election,\" Bintang said yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"We challenge President Soeharto and other candidates for a
\ndirect, democratic presidential election by the people,\" Bintang
\ntold journalists.<\/p>\n
Eligible Indonesians will vote in the general election
\nscheduled for late May next year, to cioose members of the House
\nof Representatives.<\/p>\n
The 1,000-member People Consultative's Assembly (MPR) will
\nconvene in 1998 to elect a new president and to adopt the 1998-
\n2003 Guidelines of State Policies. The assembly will also review
\nlaws proposed by the government-recognized political
\norganizations -- the United Development Party (PPP), Golkar and
\nthe Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).<\/p>\n
Bintang, chairman of the unrecognized Indonesian Democratic
\nUnion Party (PUDI), is the latest \"outsider\" to disclose his
\nintention to enter the presidential race. In April this year a
\nlittle known PDI member, Berar Fathia, also challenged Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Many observers have expressed the conviction that Soeharto
\nwill retain his post if he wishes to stay in power.<\/p>\n
Support for Soeharto's renomination has been pouring in from
\nvarious institutions and individuals, including chairman of the
\nSupreme Advisory Council Sudomo, Minister of Transmigration
\nSiswono Yudohusodo and a number of organizations and individuals
\naffiliated to Golkar.<\/p>\n
The latest gesture of support came on Thursday from the
\nKeluarga Besar Laskar Arief Rachman Hakim, an organization of
\nformer student leaders who played a major role in helping
\nSoeharto rise to power in 1966.<\/p>\n
Despite his announcement, Bintang said there was \"not much
\nhope for any significant change\" in either the general elections
\nnext year or the presidential race in 1998.<\/p>\n
Soeharto has been in continuous power since 1968 and has won
\nsix consecutive presidential terms unopposed.<\/p>\n
Despite Soeharto's strong position, Bintang called on Golkar,
\nthe PDI and the PPP to name their own candidates for president.<\/p>\n
Bintang, having represented the PPP in the House of
\nRepresentatives since 1992, was sacked in May of last year during
\nthe course of a police investigation into his alleged defamation
\nof the President. Party leaders said Bintang had repeatedly
\ncontradicted the party's official line on many political issues.<\/p>\n
He is currently appealing a court decision sentencing him to
\ntwo years and ten months imprisonment for slandering Soeharto as
\na \"dictator\" during a series of speeches in Germany last year.<\/p>\n
Bintang denied that a possible jail term was a hindrance to
\nhis presidential nomination.<\/p>\n
\"You can see former president Sukarno, Nehru and Mahatma
\nGandhi of India and Nelson Mandela of South Africa, who went on
\nwith their struggle although they had been jailed,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Yesterday's announcement was attended by some government
\ncritics, including human rights advocate H.J.C. Princen and human
\nrights lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution.<\/p>\n
ABRI<\/p>\n
Separately, political observer Suhardiman said he believed
\npersonnel from the Armed Forces (ABRI) are still the strongest
\ncontenders for the presidential race.<\/p>\n
\"ABRI is the country's only institution with a solid training
\nand supervision system for its cadres,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He also said that Soeharto appeared to be the strongest
\ncontender, if he was willing to be renominated. He pointed out
\nthat the MPR would certainly pick Soeharto if the latter said he
\nwas willing.<\/p>\n
\"If he's not willing, then, there are eligible ABRI officials,
\nincluding Vice President Try Sutrisno, Minister of Defense and
\nSecurity Edi Sudradjat, ABRI Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung, Army
\nChief of Staff Gen. Hartono and Chief of the Army's Strategic
\nReserves Command Lt. Gen. Wiranto,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Suhardiman, currently deputy chairman of the Supreme Advisory
\nCouncil, said he did not believe that State Minister of Research
\nand Technology B.J. Habibie had a chance of winning the
\npresidential race, should he decide to run. He pointed out that a
\npresidential candidates needs not only to be capable, but also
\naccepted by the people.<\/p>\n
He conceded, however, that Habibie might have a chance in the
\nvice presidential race, as might information minister Harmoko.
\n(imn)<\/p>",
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