Golkar Party likely to nominate Habibie

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)