Amien states his readliness to run for the presidency

Amien states his readliness to run for the presidency

BANDUNG (JP): National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Amien Rais
reiterated on Wednesday that he was ready to run for the
presidency.

Amien was speaking before the opening of the party's congress,
at which he said would declare his nomination for the position.
Amien further cited polls such as those conducted by Tempo
magazine which showed he was more popular with respondents than
other popular figures.

He said the congress which ends on Friday would discuss issues
such as strategies to win next year's general election and the
consolidation of the party. He acknowledged a number of
provincial branches, such as Riau and East Kalimantan, had
problems involving disputes among executives, but said it was a
good sign for the party.

"Usually new parties have difficulty in finding executives,
but we have too many," he said. The National Mandate Party is
among the new parties predicted to secure a large number of
votes. The government has put the number of parties formed since
former Soeharto resigned in May at 107.

The party should strive to make sure there was no cheating in
elections, he said, which they would not tolerate.

Strategies to be discussed, he confirmed, would include the
approach to attract members outside cities where the party's
support appears to be concentrated.

Amien stressed that the country's second largest Moslem
organization, Muhammadiyah, had no links to the party even though
he once chaired it and its members were among PAN's supporters
and executives.

The party, he claimed, was so democratic that one of its
members. M. Assegaf, was one of Soeharto's lawyers.

"The National Mandate Party encourages the upholding of the
law," Amien told the meeting. "Soeharto must be investigated...
if proven guilty he should be punished. And PAN might be the
first to request an amnesty for him."

Money politics, he said, was "taboo" in the party. "Although
PAN does not have as many funds as Golkar (the ruling political
grouping), God willing, we can move on based on honesty and
sincerity," Amien said.

Apart from preparations for next year's elections, Amien said
another major problem of the party was drawing up its program
related to the economy and other fields.

Amien also commented on the East Timor issue, saying that
after 22 years of talks, a referendum should be considered as a
way out of the problem. "If it only becomes a thorn in the flesh,
maybe it is time the East Timorese be given a chance to determine
their own fate," he said at the opening ceremony.

He was explaining a number of his published statements to PAN
members. If a referendum should be conducted and if results
showed East Timor wanted to be separate from Indonesia, "we
should say we wish you well and good bye," he said. (43/anr)