Amien Rais vows not to engage in mudslinging

A. Junaidi, Jakarta

Amien Rais and his running mate Siswono Yudhohusodo could easily resort to mudslinging with their rivals, especially those associated with "militarism" -- retired generals Wiranto and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

But the campaign team led by an executive of Amien's National Mandate Party (PAN) says those issues will be deliberately avoided. They seem to be aware that while the pair has been able to reach number one in recent television polls based on text messaging, polls by research bodies place them lower than rivals.

Campaign director Bambang Sudibyo said on Tuesday that "we acknowledge that the issue of militarism benefits our candidate." However, the former minister of finance said, "we won't use it and will instruct our people not to participate in anti-military protests."

He said the team would instead focus on the candidates' track record: Amien was known as a leader of the reform movement and Siswono is known as a "clean" administrator in both business and the bureaucracy.

Amien, who formerly led the country's second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, played an important role in the forced resignation of president Soeharto in May 1998.

Siswono was in the property business before becoming minister of public housing and minister of transmigration under president Soeharto.

The team's supervisory council chairman Eros Djarot said the team would also promote values of pluralism during the campaign.

PAN's platform is inclusive and Amien initially touched on federalism as an alternative form of governance, but this has proven to be unpopular with many.

Eros, who also leads the Freedom Bull Nationalist Party (PNBK), said that the campaign "will stress that the unitary state is the final form of our state. We will also make it clear that we are not anti-foreigner or anti-United States."

Amien, a former professor of international relations at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, has frequently criticized the U.S. for its "double standards" in its foreign policy.

Amien is perceived as representing Islam while Siswono is considered a nationalist. Their campaign team is also made up of people from various walks of life and political movements.

Two weeks ago, six parties -- the PNBK, the Star Reform Party (PBR), the Marhaenisme Indonesian National Party (PNI Marhaenisme), the Social Democratic Labor Party (PBSD), the Indonesian Democratic Vanguard Part (PPDI) and Indonesian Unity Party (PSI) -- announced support for the Amien-Siswono ticket.

PNI Marhaenisme's leader Sukmawati Soekarnoputri who is also Megawati's sister, PBSD leader Mochtar Pakpahan, PBR leader Zaenuddin MZ and PSI leader Rahardjo Tjakraningrat are also members of the campaign team.

The team also consists of former members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) including Haryanto Taslam, Sophan Sophiaan, Yulius Usman and Siswono's brother, Meilono Suwondo.

Senior journalist Gunawan Muhammad, singer Franky Sahilatua, chairman of Government Watch (Gowa) Farid R. Faqih and several experts, including Rizal Sukma, Rizal Panggabean, Didik J. Rachbini, Drajad Wibowo, are also part of the team.