Future national leader 'must be prepared' for challenges

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)