Akbar, Ginandjar withdraw from Golkar's presidential nomination
Akbar, Ginandjar withdraw from Golkar's presidential nomination
JAKARTA (JP): Ginandjar Kartasasmita and Akbar Tandjung
withdrew from Golkar's list of five presidential nominees,
leaving the coast clearer for three others: President B.J.
Habibie, Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Gen. Wiranto and
Yogyakarta's monarch Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X.
Ginandjar is the coordinating minister of economy, finance and
industry, while Akbar is Golkar's chairman who resigned from his
post as minister/state secretary in order to be able to campaign
for the party.
Golkar deputy chairman Fahmi Idris said once the party's
leadership meeting, scheduled for May 13 and 14, decides on the
final candidate, Golkar would start campaigning for the person.
He said Akbar expressed his wish to withdraw from the list
during the party's plenary meeting on Sunday. "I heard Ginandjar
also said the same thing," Fahmi said. "We haven't heard from
Wiranto or the Sultan."
The five names were originally drawn up during Golkar's
congress in March.
Responding to criticism that Habibie has failed in his one-
year-old administration, Fahmi said "that's unfair".
"Many people forget that his administration has also done some
good over the year," Fahmi said. "Anybody placed in Habibie's
position, namely having to fix the crisis within a year, would
still find it too daunting a job."
A number of names were circulated as presidential material.
They included Amien Rais of the National Mandate Party (PAN),
Megawati Soekarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI
Perjuangan), Didin Hafidhuddin of the Justice Party (PK), Sri
Bintang Pamungkas of the Indonesian Democratic Union Party (PUDI)
and Abdurrahman Wahid of the National Awakening Party (PKB).
In Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, Megawati told tens of
thousands of supporters she regretted statements that women
cannot become president.
"Those statements are an insult to women," she said as quoted
by Antara. "Before Allah, women are equal to men."
She then asserted that she remained the presidential candidate
of the PDI Perjuangan.
Among critics of Megawati's ambition to become president is
United Development Party (PPP) leader and State Minister of Food
and Horticulture, A.M. Saefuddin.
In Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, the provincial chapter of the
New Indonesia Party (PIB) on Monday named Habibie as its
candidate for the presidential election later this year.
The party chapter also said it would field two vice
presidential candidates, noting that the country needs two vice
presidents, one for Western Indonesia and the other for Eastern
Indonesia, to ensure an equitable distribution of development and
its gains.
"History shows that since the proclamation of independence,
the country really needs two vice presidents to ponder upon and
draw up a plan for equitability," said chairman of PIB-South
Sulawesi, Ambo Sakka, as quoted by Antara.
Sakka pointed out he would table the nomination of Habibie and
two vice presidential candidates to the party's upcoming national
congress in Jakarta.
He disclosed that he would nominate Hamzah Haz, a PPP leader
who recently resigned from his post as minister of investment, as
vice president for Western Indonesia, and Adi Sasono, who is
minister of cooperatives, for the eastern part of the country.
According to a release from PIB-South Sulawesi, the upcoming
cabinet should comprise of Megawati as minister of internal
affairs, Wiranto as minister of foreign affairs and Nurcholis
Madjid as minister of religious affairs.
The Irian Jaya chapter of the People's Sovereignty Party (PDR)
said on Monday it named Adi Sasono and former Irian Jaya governor
Barnabas Suebu as its presidential candidates.
Chapter chairman Abdul Hakim Aituarauw was quoted by Antara as
saying the two figures were known for their fight for economic
policies that would benefit common people rather than big
businesses. (aan/swe)