Emil intends to go forward with VP nomination

DEPOK, West Java (JP): Senior economist Emil Salim has responded favorably to calls by fellow intellectuals for him to be nominated a candidate for the vice presidential election next month.

"I'm pressing forward. I intend to stay (in the race)," Emil said here Saturday after Asman Boedisantoso Ranakusuma was installed as the new rector of the University of Indonesia, replacing M.K. Tadjudin.

"Five years ago, nobody nominated me. They have now, so I will go forward," he said, pointing out that the move was part of a democratization of the country.

Emil Salim is a former environmental minister and a professor at the University of Indonesia, as well as a member of the Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals. He is a respected scholar and has a reputation of being honest.

A number of prominent non-governmental organization (NGO) activists, including professor of psychology and founder of women studies Saparinah Sadli, gathered in Jakarta Wednesday to call for the nomination of Emil for vice president. The group also included leading consumer rights activist Tini Hadad and demography expert Mayling Oei Gardiner.

In her letter to the media, Saparinah said NGO activists, members of the media and academics believed that Emil was the best choice for vice president.

Saparinah has been garnering support for her fellow professor at the University of Indonesia. She has attended events calling for Emil's nomination and has asked colleagues and friends to sign statements of support.

Emil said he was confident of the support of his friends. Gesturing toward hundreds of professors, university lecturers and other intellectuals attending Asman's installment, he said: "Intellectuals, youths and various groups support me. Pick one of those intellectuals and ask them yourself."

"It's no longer the time to be silent," he said.

When reminded that he must be officially nominated by a faction in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to stand for election, Emil said: "That is not my business. I am nominated. It's the job of those who nominate me to approach the factions."

"If you are nominated by your own friends, you must not let them down," he said. "So I'm going ahead."

Saparinah could not be reached for comment yesterday. Those supporting Emil have not said anything public about the reelection of President Soeharto to a seventh, consecutive five- year term.

Golkar chairman Harmoko, State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie and United Development Party (PPP) chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum are the only vice presidential candidates to be officially nominated to date by factions in the MPR.

The chairman of the body for the study of the state ideology Pancasila, Alwi Dahlan, said in Padang on Saturday that having more than one vice presidential candidate was a sign that the country was gaining ground in its democratization efforts.

"This is clearly a positive development, because people would then have many candidates. But remember, they are not really candidates before the MPR processes them in the General Session," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

He did not say anything about the presidential election. (swe)