Golkar confident of Soeharto's reelection
JAKARTA (JP): The dominant political group Golkar opened yesterday its annual leadership meeting exuding confidence that its chief patron, President Soeharto, would be reelected for a seventh consecutive term.
Deputy chairman Abdul Gafur said in a press conference after the opening ceremony that not only was Soeharto's chance of being reelected great, history showed that support for him was always unanimous.
"Golkar has already decided to renominate President Soeharto," Gafur said, "and I have a feeling that other factions in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) will not nominate anyone else."
The leadership meeting will run until Sunday, capped off by the usual big bash at the Jakarta Convention Center. It is during this celebration that Golkar usually delivers its political statement.
This year's statement, however, will be reserved to officially announce Soeharto as Golkar's candidate for the 1998 presidential election. Golkar chairman Harmoko had stated this intention in August, in response to many parties' request that Golkar do so.
"Golkar will formally announce President Soeharto's renomination at its 33rd anniversary Sunday evening," Harmoko said yesterday.
Soeharto was appointed president in a general meeting of the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly (MPRS) in 1968. He replaced the late president Sukarno, who the Assembly declared was incapable of continuing his leadership after the abortive coup attempt by the outlawed Indonesian Communist Party in September 1965.
Soeharto was reelected in 1972, a year after the first general election held under the New Order government. In 1993, he was reelected for another five-year term, which ends next year.
Harmoko said the early announcement was not meant to force other political organizations to do the same.
He said Golkar respected the right of the other political organizations to nominate people as their presidential candidates.
Asked whether the Golkar executive board had consulted Soeharto, Harmoko said the Golkar faction at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) would approach the President before its general session next March. MPR will convene to elect a president, vice president and adopt the Guidelines of State Policies.
As for the vice presidential candidate, Harmoko said consultation over his or her name would take place only with the elected president.
"The most important thing is that a vice presidential candidate must be capable, accepted by all elements in society, and able to cooperate with the elected president," he said.
The Armed Forces (ABRI), Golkar's staunch supporter, said Golkar's stance was in line with what the public wanted.
"It is a reflection of people's aspirations," Armed Forces Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Yunus Yosfiah told reporters after attending the opening ceremony.
He dismissed suggestions that the announcement was premature, given that the MPR general session was not until next March.
"People are free to announce their presidential candidates," he said.
Victory
In his capacity as the chief of Golkar's board of patrons, Soeharto suggested yesterday that Golkar not be intoxicated by its election victory and that it work hard for the country's development.
"Golkar's strategic position as the dominant political group should be utilized for the development of the country and the nation," he said in a written speech delivered by the coordinator of Golkar's board of patrons, Hartarto.
Golkar won 74.51 percent of the votes in the May general election.
In his address, Soeharto also called on Golkar officials and members to keep promises they made during the election campaign.
"Golkar should keep its election promises, especially for the improvement of the people's welfare through poverty alleviation programs and the development of small and medium scale businesses and cooperatives," he said.
He said the state's internal agenda, including human resource management, democratization and justice, should become the focus of Golkar legislators in next year's MPR assembly.
Present at yesterday's opening ceremony were cabinet ministers, Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung and the four chiefs of the military corps and the National Police. (imn)