Golkar confident of Soeharto's reelection

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)