'Axis force' tips Gus Dur as presidential candidate

'Axis force' tips Gus Dur as presidential candidate

JAKARTA (JP): With the presidential election just five weeks
away, the "axis force" political coalition is positioning
Abdurrahman Wahid as the perfect candidate to avoid the hazardous
divergence between the two leading nominees.

National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Amien Rais and Crescent
Star Party (PBB) chairman Yusril Ihza Mahendra both lauded
Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, as an acceptable comprise
to avoid potential national conflict stemming from the tough
leadership race between the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the Golkar Party.

"I have tried to assess who would be the right leader to
maintain the nation's unity, and found that Gus Dur is the
appropriate person," Amien said.

Speaking at a discussion on the presidency on Saturday, Amien
remarked that there would be less resistance to Abdurrahman than
PDI Perjuangan's Megawati Soekarnoputri or Golkar's nomination of
incumbent B.J. Habibie.

Such was Amien's confidence that he predicted that under a
fair election process, Abdurrahman would receive more than 51
percent of the vote.

He maintained that the nation now needed a future leader who
could represent the aspirations of various elements of society.

"If he seems inconsistent, that's the risk of a person who is
accepted by different groups," Amien said, referring to
Abdurrahman's often shifting and confusing comments on national
policy.

The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) will begin the first
phase of its General Session on Oct.1 and is expected to elect a
new president by Nov. 1.

At the present juncture it is almost impossible to predict who
will come out on top because neither PDI Perjuangan nor Golkar,
the two highest vote-getters in the June 7 general election, have
a majority in the Assembly.

PAN and several Islamic-leaning parties have banded together
to form a loose coalition known as the axis force.

Spearheaded by PAN Amien, the axis force -- which includes the
United Development Party (PPP), the Justice Party (PK) and PBB --
has suggested Abdurrahman as an alternative presidential
candidate.

However, Abdurrahman himself has remained aloof concerning his
nomination, making only vague comments of at first backing
Megawati's nomination, and then expressing readiness, sometimes
eagerness, to lead the nation if asked.

Abdurrahman is chairman of the 30-million-strong Nahdlatul
Ulama (NU) Muslim organization.

As an institution, NU has declared it will not involve itself
in practical politics. However, its leaders are core founders of
the National Awakening Party (PKB), which received the third
highest number of votes in the general election.

PKB chairman Matori Abdul Djalil previously declared his
party's support for Megawati and has so far remained firm in his
conviction despite Abdurrahman's apparent fickleness.

Amein appears unfazed by Abdurrahman's failure to acknowledge
the axis force's nomination

"God willing, Gus Dur will be ready to run as the axis force's
presidential candidate," he said on Saturday.

Yusril Ihza Mahendra highlighted the potential for unrest,
warning of extreme discontent from the legions of PDI Perjuangan
or Golkar faithful if either's candidate were to lose the
presidential election race to the other.

"That would not be the case if Gus Dur is elected," he
remarked.

Yusril further lauded what he described as Abdurrahman's
unifying qualities: "Gus Dur is smart and able to get people to
sit together".

Golkar executive and minister of manpower, Fahmi Idris, who
was also present at the discussion, said his party recognized
that it could dominate the two top posts in the government.

Golkar chief Akbar Tanjung said last week he had offered the
vice presidency to Indonesian Military Commander Gen. Wiranto.
There has so far been no public response from Wiranto.

In a surprising gesture, Fahmi remarked that "if the offer for
the vice president position to Wiranto is not wavering, I
personally think it should be opened for other candidates from
all social and political elements."

The presidential running-mate is expected to be the deciding
swing vote in what many believe will be a close race.

While nothing has been formalized, many observers point out
that a Megawati-Matori duet is one likely combination.

Schedule

In preparation for the upcoming presidential election, the
seven top parties in the new House of Representatives (DPR) have
agreed to "accelerate" the schedule of the coming General Session
of the Assembly.

The first phase of the General Session will be held from Oct.
1 trough Oct. 3 in which Assembly members will be inaugurated and
then endorse the MPR internal rules, select House and Assembly
speakers, heads of factions and establish a working group.

Yusril here on Sunday said that the working group was expected
to begin its work on Oct. 5 and work in three commissions to
draft the State Policy Guidelines (GBHN), Assembly decrees and
amendments to the 1945 Constitution.

The second phase will be held from Oct. 22 through Nov. 1 in
which the Assembly will hear the president's accountability
speech, elect a president and vice president, and endorse the
GBHN.

The seven parties have agreed that the presidential election
process should be held in several rounds in the event that there
are more than two candidates.

The final round would pit the two remaining candidates, with
the majority winner becoming the nation's next president. (06)