Civilian president is OK, senior general says

Civilian president is OK, senior general says

JAKARTA (JP): The military, which plays a dominant role in
domestic politics, has no objection to Indonesia's next president
being a civilian.

Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, Chief of the Armed Forces
Sociopolitical Affairs, said over the weekend that what counts is
that the next president should be a capable figure.

"The figure could be from either military or civilian but the
People's Consultative Assembly should make sure that it elects a
figure of quality," he was quoted as saying by Antara.

Syarwan made the remarks when meeting with activists of the
Muhammadiyah Moslem organization in the South Kalimantan capital
of Banjarmasin.

The People's Consultative Assembly is scheduled to elect the
new president and vice president in March next year. President
Soeharto, a retired army general who has been in power for 30
years, is widely expected to retain his post.

So far, there has been no serious challenge to President
Soeharto choosing to stay in power for a seventh term.

Sri Bintang Pamungkas, the controversial politician who
established Democratic Union Party, has nominated himself for the
presidency.

Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) activists also planned to
nominate their leader, Megawati Soekarnoputri, before she was
deposed in a government-sanctioned congress in June.

In 1993, a Maj. Gen. Sembiring Meliala, a House member from
the Armed Forces faction sparked a national controversy when he
told a newspaper that a civilian could not become president.

Syarwan refused to comment when asked if the military means to
soften its stand on the backgrounds of figures who may become
president.

Meanwhile, State Minister of Research and Technology B.J.
Habibie said in the same forum in Banjarmasin over the weekend
that it is irrelevant to ask about the qualifications for the
next president.

He insisted that the public should entrust all matters
concerning the presidential election to the People's Consultative
Assembly, which represent the Indonesian people in the matter.

"Individuals and organizations should propose qualifications
for a president to the Assembly," said Habibie, chairman of the
politically well-connected Association of Indonesian Moslem
Intellectuals.

Habibie, a confidante of President Soeharto, is among figures
believed to have the support for the vice presidential post in
1998. Other names include Ginandjar Kartasasmita, the State
Minister for National Development Planning.

Habibie said he was of the opinion that qualifications for the
next president should be proposed by the three political
organizations, Golkar, PDI and the United Development Party.
(pan)