Golkar faction tips Soeharto

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)