Forum set up to find presidential candidate

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)