Golkar Party likely to nominate Habibie
JAKARTA (JP): The ruling Golkar Party will likely nominate President B.J. Habibie as its presidential candidate for the 1999-2004 period, according to party sources.
Deputy chairman of the party's advisory board, A.A Baramuli, said shortly after 11 p.m. that 20 of the party's provincial chapters had expressed support for Habibie as the sole presidential candidate.
But the chapters included East Timor which named both Habibie and Wiranto while Bali abstained after initially rejecting Habibie.
The fate of Habibie's candidacy for a second term is highest on the agenda in the party's leadership meeting.
As of 11 p.m. the chapters from East Java, West Java, Lampung, North Sumatra, Riau and Yogyakarta still insisted on retaining the five candidates, including Habibie, named in a national party meeting in March.
The party's national meeting named Habibie, Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung, Minister of Defense and Security/Indonesian Military Commander Gen. Wiranto, Yogyakarta Governor Hamengkubuwono X and Coordinating Minister for Economy and Finance Ginandjar Kartasasmita.
If the forum decided the decision could be taken on the basis of support of most chapters for Habibie, Golkar would name him as their sole presidential candidate.
But the meeting could also decide to take a vote -- in which regional chapters would be entitled votes of the same weight as provincial chapters.
Akbar, who has just resigned from his position as minister/state secretary, held a 30-minute meeting with all party chapter chairmen before the general meeting, but declined to reveal the content of the gathering.
Before opening the meeting program, slated to end on Friday, Akbar said that none of the five figures, including himself, have refused their nominations although he said he has "never positioned himself" as a presidential candidate.
"The party's working meeting in March named the five as its presidential candidates and recommended a leadership meeting to select one of the five to be the permanent candidate as a vote getter in the general election and to be nominated in the People's Consultative Assembly's General Session in December," he said.
The party's central board decided to hold the leadership meeting before the general election following a division among members over the scheduling.
The party was divided over whether the leadership meeting should be held before or after the June 7 general election and a vote was held to settle the issue.
A minority which supported Akbar's nomination wanted the meeting to be held after the elections to allow the party to concentrate on campaigning.
They also said that the selection of an unpopular presidential candidate before the election could be "a tragedy" for the party.
Marzuki Darusman was quoted in the Thursday edition of Kompas daily as saying that the reluctance to nominate Habibie as Golkar's presidential candidate was because he had yet to announce the progress of the investigation into former president Soeharto's alleged corruption.
Most board members preferred to nominate the party's presidential candidate before the elections, on the grounds that the candidate could be "saleable" during campaigning.
Former vice-president Habibie took over from Soeharto last May 21, and was entrusted to lead a transitional government and conduct the elections. Signs that he is interested in another term have drawn criticism as many consider him Soeharto's protege. (rms)