Vice presidency open to active officers: Rudini<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A senior political and military analyst says
\nactive members of the Armed Forces (ABRI), for the first time,
\nmay join next year's vice presidential race.<\/p>\n
"There's no article in our constitution which prohibits active
\nABRI members from joining the vice presidential race," said
\nformer minister of home affairs Rudini.<\/p>\n
"The 1945 Constitution does not differentiate between male or
\nfemale candidates either," he added.<\/p>\n
There has never been an active military officer which has
\nserved as vice president.<\/p>\n
Rudini's comments come on the heels of a remark made by deputy
\ngovernor of the National Resilience Institute, Juwono Sudarsono,
\nwho described those with a military background as having better
\nqualities for assuming senior state positions.<\/p>\n
With the 1998 presidential election likely to be another one-
\nhorse race, vice presidential speculation remains a hot issue for
\ndiscussion.<\/p>\n
The 1,000-member People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) will
\nconvene next March to elect a president and vice president and
\ndraw up the State Policy Guidelines.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the appointment of State Minister of Research
\nand Technology B.J. Habibie and State Minister of National
\nDevelopment Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita as coordinator of
\nGolkar faction's board of patrons and chief of Golkar at MPR
\nrespectively, Rudini said it did not guarantee that either
\nminister would become vice president.<\/p>\n
"If one of them is elected as the next vice president, it is
\nmerely because they meet all requirements. But not because they
\nhold those strategic positions," he said.<\/p>\n
He said that in 1993 Habibie was appointed coordinator of
\nGolkar's board of patrons, while Coordinating Minister for
\nPeople's Welfare Azwar Anas was chief of Golkar at MPR. "Yet,
\nneither of them was elected vice president," he said.<\/p>\n
Habibie was appointed coordinator of Golkar's board of patrons
\nlast week, while Ginandjar, although his legislative post had yet
\nto be formally declared, has been assigned to lead Golkar at MPR
\nin March.<\/p>\n
Separately, Habibie said yesterday that there was nothing
\nspecial with his appointment as coordinator for Golkar's board of
\npatrons for the 1997\/1998 period.<\/p>\n
"The post is annually held by deputies to the chief of
\nGolkar's board of patrons by taking turns," he said after
\nescorting the president and CEO of French-based high-tech
\nelectronic company Matra Hachette, J.L. Lagardere, to see
\nPresident Soeharto yesterday.<\/p>\n
Habibie also dismissed speculation that a coordinator of
\nGolkar's board of patrons had superior control over Golkar's
\nboard of executives.<\/p>\n
"It is the chairman of Golkar's board of patrons who has
\ndecisive authority," he said.<\/p>\n
Asked about the possibility of having a smooth presidential
\nand vice presidential election, Rudini suggested that the three
\nmajor factions -- Golkar, ABRI and the faction of regional
\nrepresentatives -- which control 85 percent of MPR, cooperate to
\navoid forwarding different candidates.<\/p>\n
He said: "If Golkar, ABRI and regional representatives unite,
\nit will then only be a small problem if the United Development
\nParty and the Indonesian Democratic Party nominate different
\npeople." (imn\/prb)<\/p>",
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