Golkar denies preparing new cabinet list

Golkar denies preparing new cabinet list

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar Secretary-General Ary Mardjono denied making a list of future cabinet ministers for President Soeharto to consider.

Ary said it was the President's prerogative to choose cabinet ministers and the Golkar executive board had not discussed matters concerning the 1998-2002 cabinet.

However, reliable sources say that Ary's list of ministers had become a hot topic among Golkar leaders.

The People's Consultative Assembly will elect the new president and vice president next March. President Soeharto, who has been in power for 30 years, is widely expected to retain his post.

Golkar won 325 of the 425 contested seats in the House of Representatives (DPR) in the recent general election.

The new house of Representatives members will be sworn in on Oct. 1.

Some Golkar figures and election campaigners, who assisted Golkar in achieving its landslide victory, have been listed as candidates for ministerial posts in the cabinet, the source said.

Past presidential cabinets have been dominated by the ruling political organization. Most appointed cabinet ministers were also Golkar cadres and members.

Golkar has won all six general elections held since the establishment of the New Order government in the mid 1960s.

In the May 29 election, Golkar triumphed over its rivals the United Development Party (PPP), which won 89 seats, and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), with won 11 seats.

The remaining 75 seats are allocated for the Armed Forces, whose members do not vote. (imn)