Amien calls for discussion of succession

Amien calls for discussion of succession

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Political observer Amien Rais over the
weekend made a fresh call on decision makers, intellectuals and
the public to discuss the issue of presidential succession "in a
transparent, honest and responsible manner".

The staff lecturer at Gadjah Mada University said here on
Saturday that the question of succession is actually the essence
of all political matters here.

"Let's not deny this fact," he urged in an interview with The
Jakarta Post. "Succession is the 'heart' of Indonesian politics.
Many other political issues that people raise are superficial."

Amien was commenting on the conflict within the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI) and Indonesian politics in general.

He pointed out that the various political disputes that have
occurred over the past years are actually "symptoms" of an
unaddressed problem, namely presidential succession.

"We should have the courage to face the problem," he said.

The chairman of Indonesia's reformist Moslem organization,
Muhammadiyah, first brought up the issue of succession in
December 1993, only months after the nation re-elected President
Soeharto to his sixth consecutive term. "There is no other
option, presidential succession must occur in 1998," he said
then.

The issue, a long-time political no-no, immediately snowballed
and sparked controversy. Some people supported Amien's ideas,
while others, including Golkar chairman Harmoko, condemned the
ideas as "premature" and even "unethical".

President Soeharto himself responded to the clamor by stating
last year that he had no intention of becoming "president for
life".

"I still believe in what I said four years ago, that we all
should tackle the issue responsibly and as early as possible,"
Amien told the Post.

Public discourse, he said, should be undertaken rationally and
realistically. "If the public decides that (the country) doesn't
need a succession of leadership yet, as a democrat I would
acquiesce."

On the other hand, he said, those who support the status quo
should accept the possibility of the public and the People's
Consultative Assembly opting for new national leaders, he said.

Political observer Susilo Utomo of Diponegoro University in
Semarang seconded Amien, saying that discussion of succession
should no longer be taboo.

"In fact, we should give priority to the issue. Do we need
succession or not?" he asked.

He noted, however, that, should it occur, succession must take
place without causing upheaval. "Let's not have new leaders
through revolution," he said. "Our new president should come from
a natural, democratic process."

President Soeharto returned on Saturday from a week-long trip
to Germany for a medical checkup. The secrecy initially
surrounding the trip sparked speculation about his true state of
health and about the future of Indonesian politics.

In Bandung, West Java, a non-governmental organization called
on the nation to better prepare itself for an inevitable change
in leadership.

The Nusantara Legal Aid Institute suggested giving a greater
role to the vice president, which would allow him to step into
the President's shoes should the latter die, step down or become
unable to perform his duties.

Chairman Effendi Saman cited chapter 8 of the 1945
Constitution which says that a vice president should take office
if one of the three situations occurs.

"The vice president has a strategic role to play," he told a
press conference last week. (har/31/swe/17)

Editorial -- Page 4