Golkar may nominate Tutut for vice president: Ary
Golkar may nominate Tutut for vice president: Ary
JAKARTA (JP): Golkar might nominate Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana
for vice president next year, the grouping's secretary-general
Ary Mardjono said yesterday.
Hardiyanti, better known as Mbak Tutut, is a deputy chief of
Golkar, a successful businesswoman and the eldest daughter of
President Soeharto.
Ary reiterated Golkar chairman Harmoko's recent statement that
Golkar would look carefully for people with the potential to be
vice president.
"As Harmoko has said, we'll consider her as we will other
names. It could be Tutut or other candidates. We'll talk about
it," Ary was quoted by Antara as saying after a meeting of Golkar
members in Surabaya, East Java.
Ary was commenting on a recent statement by J. Kristiadi, a
political scientist at the Centre for Strategic and International
Studies (CSIS), that Hardiyanti was a hot prospect to become the
next vice president because of "the proximity of her thoughts
with those of President Soeharto".
"It's up to CSIS to name her for the vice presidency, but
Golkar will be consistent, in that it will only nominate those
who meet its criteria, including the requirement that a candidate
should be able to cooperate with the elected president," Ary
said.
Nomination
When asked whether Golkar would approve Hardiyanti's
nomination, Ary said: "Let's talk about it later. We'll discuss
it again, because Golkar only nominates those its meeting has
decided. There'll be time for it."
He said there could be more than one vice presidential
nominee. But it would be up to the elected president to choose
the vice president.
"No matter who will be nominated, including Mbak Tutut, it
will be up to the President to decide," he said.
When asked whether Hardiyanti would be willing to be a Golkar
candidate, Ary said: "I haven't met with her. Ask her tomorrow
whether she's willing to be nominated."
Hardiyanti is scheduled to appear today in Surabaya for a
gathering of members of the Nahdlatul Ulama Moslem organization.
Discussion on vice presidential candidates has been growing.
While it's a foregone conclusion that President Soeharto will be
reelected to another term next year, speculation on who he will
favor as his second is growing.
Among those mentioned as a possible next vice president were
the incumbent Try Sutrisno, State Minister of Research and
Technology B.J. Habibie, State Minister of National Development
Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita, Minister of Information Harmoko
and Army Chief of Staff R. Hartono.
Hardiyanti's name came up last year as another possible
candidate. (swe)