Amien Rais for vice president

Amien Rais for vice president

From Rakyat Merdeka

To me, a sympathizer of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and
an admirer of Amien Rais, Amien Rais remains a national figure
capable of leading this country in the years to come.

Of the four national leaders - Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid,
Megawati, Amien Rais and Akbar Tandjung, Amien is the only one
with a doctorate and an academic rank of professor in political
science. Thanks to his skill as a politician, he has brilliantly
made himself a kingmaker and initiated the establishment of the
Axis Force, a political force very much reckoned with and feared
by his political foes, particularly the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the National Awakening
Party (PKB).

Second, as the person who initiated the establishment of the
Axis Force, Amien Rais can agilely move from one place to
another, mobilizing political forces and lobbying the political
elite both in the House of Representatives (DPR) and in the
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR). Even Matori (PKB), Hamzah
Haz of the United Development Party (PPP) and Arifin Panigoro
(PDI Perjuangan) may not have the dynamic agility that Amien Rais
has.

Third, during the election of speaker of MPR, there was tight
competition between Amien Rais and Matori. Although PAN was only
ranked fifth in the 1999 general elections, members of the MPR
gave more votes to Amien Rais than to Matori. It was 1-0 for PAN
and Amien then.

Fourth, Amien was allotted four ministerial seats in the
"Rainbow Cabinet" established in 1999 and three of these posts
went to PAN cadres. Therefore, it is only proper if in the next
three months Amien Rais assumes the position of vice president
with Megawati as president, replacing Gus Dur.

VALERY E. SETIAWAN

Bengkulu