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