Golkar faction tips Soeharto
JAKARTA (JP): The Golkar faction at the House of Representatives called on its executive board yesterday to announce incumbent President Soeharto as the ruling political organization's candidate for the 1998/2003 presidency.
Faction chief Moestahid Astari said it was the right time for the organization, which won the majority of House seats in the May general election, to announce Soeharto's candidacy.
"Golkar should heed the aspiration of its members and voters and immediately assert its political stance," said Moestahid, who is also vice secretary-general of the Golkar executive board.
He was commenting on the call by two Golkar youth organizations that Soeharto be willing to be renominated for the presidential election next March by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).
Chairman of the Indonesian Young Generation for Reform, Indra Bambang Utoyo, and Wira Karya leader Bobby Suhardiman said in a joint press conference yesterday that the call was put forward by all 27 provincial chapters of their respective organizations.
"We hope President Soeharto will accept our petition and that Golkar will accommodate it," Indra said.
Long before the two organizations petitioned, chairman of the 30-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem organization, Abdurrahman Wahid, said in 1995 that President Soeharto would retain power in 1998.
Abdurrahman, a shrewd political analyst well known for his controversial views, said he was skeptical that the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) would elect a different president in its meeting next year.
"Soeharto doesn't seem to have any competitors," he said at the time.
Moestahid said it would be too late for Golkar to name its candidate in March.
"We have to come up with our presidential candidate before the induction of new members of the House of Representatives (DPR) and MPR on Oct. 1," he said.
He described developments since Golkar held a leadership meeting last year and came up with criteria for its presidential candidates.
"One year is enough to select our candidates, and Soeharto is the one," he said.
The upcoming leadership meeting of Golkar in October should only strengthen the Golkar central board's decision.
Golkar maintained its political supremacy for a sixth consecutive term after it secured a landslide victory in the May 29 general election. The ruling political organization grabbed 325 seats of the 500-seat DPR, leaving the United Development Party (PPP) a distant second with 89 seats and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) lagging even further behind with 11 seats.
Speaking about qualifications, Moestahid said the incumbent President met all requirements.
"I think none of us will contradict that President Soeharto plays a significant role at both the national and international level," he said.
He said Soeharto had the necessary reputation, achievement, concept and vision to lead the nation in preparing to meet the coming 21st century.
Moestahid dismissed concern about Soeharto's health and advancing age.
Soeharto turned 76 last June. He had once jokingly called himself TOPP (an acronym of Tua, Ompong, Peot, and Pikun or Old, Toothless, Sunken cheeks, and Senile), and said he did not plan to be president for life.
"Age is relative. The most important thing is that (Soeharto) be willing to lead the country in a period of transition from the 20th century to the 21st century," Moestahid said.
"And I believe that President Soeharto, as statesman and an experienced soldier, will not reject the request of this nation to continue his state leadership," he added. (imn)