Future national leader 'must be prepared' for challenges
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is in demand of a new national leader to anticipate and manage future changes in the next millennium, political observer Amien Rais said yesterday.
Amien said at a seminar on national leadership here that the present national leadership, by nature, was now in its twilight so the Indonesian people had to seek a successor.
"The incoming third millennium will see such a different quality of challenges that we will require a new figure to cope with them. The person must be blessed with a vision on where the country's 200 million people are heading," Amien said.
He said the new leader should stand above all races, ethnic groups, religions and regions, dedicate himself or herself to national interests instead of those of his or her group and family and be accountable to the people.
However, he admitted that succession was unlikely to occur in the general session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) next March.
"Due to the composition of factions in the Assembly, it's reasonable that the general session will end up maintaining the status quo," he said.
The 1,000-strong Assembly will convene in March to endorse the State Policy Guidelines and elect a president and vice president.
Support for the reelection of incumbent President Soeharto has been looming.
The dominant political faction Golkar will have 488 representatives in the Assembly, the United Development Party (PPP) 134, the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) 16 and the Armed Forces 113.
There will be another 100 people representing various mass organizations, institutions and professions and 149 regional representatives who, along with the Armed Forces, traditionally affiliate themselves with Golkar.
Dialog
Amien, who chairs the 20 million-strong Muhammadiyah modern- oriented Moslem organization, reiterated that people could push for a national dialog to choose an alternative national leader to be offered at the Assembly.
"It (the dialog) would depend on people's political will, courage and self-confidence. I believe if they are brimmed with confidence, the Assembly will heed their demand," he said.
He said the dialog, in the form of seminars or discussions, could cover all issues the country faced, although it would be initially set up for choosing a new national leader.
"The dialog would have to run through democratic, transparent, legal and constitutional means and involve all generations," he said.
He suggested that organizers of the dialog approach the political elite group to tell them that the dialog would not be aimed at opening up a confrontation or causing a split in the nation.
Also speaking at the seminar held at the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute were political analysts Deliar Noor and Usep Ranawijaya.
A group of youth activists representing a committee for democracy and national leadership spontaneously nominated Amien, Deliar, jailed government critic Sri Bintang Pamungkas, ousted chairwoman of PDI Megawati Soekarnoputri, former leader of the now defunct Indonesian Socialist Party Soebadio Sastrosatomo and critics Abdul Madjid and Ali Sadikin for the presidency.
Meanwhile in Semarang, House of Representatives legislator Cholil Bisri suggested that the Assembly open a debate on limiting the presidential term during the general session.
"Somebody or a faction must initiate a discussion on the issue, or it will lose its momentum," Cholil of PPP told reporters. He was supporting a controversial statement made by Minister of Transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo at a seminar last month.
He said PPP should have the courage to prompt the uncommon debate, even if its foreseeable defeat. (har/amd)