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