Syarwan 'not in conflict' with Harmoko<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Former Armed Forces Chief of Sociopolitical
\nAffairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid denies competing against Golkar
\nchief Harmoko for the House speaker position.<\/p>\n
Syarwan will represent the Armed Forces faction in the House
\nof Representatives.<\/p>\n
He said over the weekend that he and Harmoko were friends, and
\nhe would gladly concede if the latter won.<\/p>\n
\"I'm not in conflict with Harmoko,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said it would not be a problem for him if Harmoko was
\nchosen to be House speaker.<\/p>\n
\"I must accept reality if Harmoko wins the majority support of
\nHouse members,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Five hundred members of the House will be sworn in on Oct. 1,
\nafter which they will elect the House speaker and his or her
\ndeputies.<\/p>\n
Syarwan is reportedly running against Harmoko for the leading
\nposition in the House.<\/p>\n
He said last week that the speaker's seat was still up for
\n\"grabs\" because legislators still had a month to lobby each other
\nfor support.<\/p>\n
Traditionally the speaker's post has been occupied by the
\nleader of the political party or faction which holds the most
\nseats in the House. The spot has always gone to the head of the
\ndominant Golkar faction.<\/p>\n
Syarwan, who will join the unprecedented crash course for new
\nlegislators Tuesday, is widely rumored to have a chance of
\nbecoming House speaker for the 1997\/2002 term.<\/p>\n
But Armed Forces Chief. Gen. Feisal Tanjung seemed to dismiss
\nthese rumors last week when he said that Syarwan would be
\nassigned a deputy House speaker post and Harmoko the House
\nspeaker seat.<\/p>\n
Minister\/State Secretary Moerdiono also said last week that
\nHarmoko deserved the House's top job.<\/p>\n
After holding the job since 1983, Harmoko was abruptly
\nreplaced by R. Hartono as Minister of Information in June, and
\nmade State Minister for Special Assignments.<\/p>\n
Harmoko led Golkar to a sweeping victory in the May general
\nelection capturing 74 percent of the vote.<\/p>\n
On Harmoko's declining popularity with some Golkar members,
\nSyarwan said this did not represent Golkar's wider voice.<\/p>\n
Golkar legislator Manginsara Marcos Lubis recently said
\nHarmoko's inability to communicate \"harmoniously\" with President
\nSoeharto was to blame for the Broadcasting Bill's return to the
\nHouse for further revision.<\/p>\n
\"It was a small problem. Golkar will remain solid as an
\norganization,\" Syarwan said.<\/p>\n
Separately, former minister of home affairs Rudini said
\nSaturday that it was unethical for Lubis to publicly criticize
\nHarmoko's performance.<\/p>\n
\"He should have brought up the issue at Golkar's internal
\nmeeting, not in a House open forum,\" Rudini said, suggesting
\nLubis be held accountable for the statement by Golkar executives.<\/p>\n
Harmoko arguably also lost face last month when Golkar faction
\nchief Moestahid Astari announced that Golkar would renominate
\nSoeharto as President at the general assembly of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly next March.<\/p>\n
Moestahid's move preempted Harmoko who had yet to make an
\nofficial statement on the matter. (imn)<\/p>",
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