Forum set up to find presidential candidate

JAKARTA (JP): A group of government critics formed an independent forum yesterday with the main aim of preparing an alternative candidate for the 1998-2003 presidency.

The small group named Berar Fathia, an Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) activist loyal to Megawati Soekarnoputri, as the forum's chairperson. Only seven people, including outspoken author Wimanjaya Liotohe, are on the executive board.

"We are suffering a shortage of leaders who are not only acceptable to everybody, but who can also cater to both national interests and people's interests," Berar said.

She said the forum would soon start seeking candidates and announce its favorite before the general session of the People's Consultative Assembly next March. The general session will decide the broad guidelines of state policies and elect the next President and Vice President.

There is great support for President Soeharto to run for another five-year term. Soeharto, 76, came to power in 1967 to replace the country's founding president Sukarno after an abortive coup blamed on communists.

The 1,000-strong assembly consists of 500 House of Representative legislators and 500 legislators from community groups appointed by the President.

Sacked legislator Sri Bintang Pamungkas, now detained by the Attorney General's office on subversion charges, has announced that he would like to challenge Soeharto in the March presidential election. In 1996, Berar nominated herself as a presidential candidate.

Berar insisted that her group was doing nothing wrong by seeking alternative presidential nominees.

"It doesn't mean that we oppose President Soeharto's leadership. We simply want to exercise our constitutional right to choose a leader through the assembly," she said.

"We are ready to compete in the general session," she added.

Open debate on presidential nominations is unusual. Discourses has normally concentrated on the vice presidential candidacy. Several cabinet ministers have been touted as strong candidates for the vice presidency, including State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie and the newly inducted Minister of Information Hartono.

Political scientist Amien Rais has suggested that discussions on the two key leadership posts be public. (amd)