Golkar sets criteria for president

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar leaders reviewed criteria for nominating candidates for the 1998 presidential election, but stopped short of giving any names yesterday.

The ruling political organization will disclose the name of its presidential candidate come election time in March 1998, said Chairman Harmoko.

"The Golkar faction in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) will announce the candidate's name," Harmoko told reporters outside the Golkar leadership meeting at the Gran Melia Hotel, South Jakarta.

The MPR will convene in March 1998 to elect the president and vice president, and to endorse the guidelines of state policy for the 1998-2003 period.

"This meeting is only to discuss the requirements of a national leader. You won't get anymore than that," Harmoko told reporters when pressed to name potential candidates.

Golkar leaders will disclose criteria at the conclusion of the meeting on Sunday, which coincides with Golkar's 32nd anniversary.

Earlier, deputy chairman Abdul Gafur said members had decided not to discuss names of prospective candidates at the meeting.

Golkar would not question the origin of candidates, he said, referring to the never-ending debate about whether the next president should come from the military, or a civilian.

"Any one can become the leader of this country if he or she meets the criteria, but the candidate must be able to lead the country and be loved and accepted by the people," he said.

Achievements count a lot, but Golkar will put more emphasis on the candidate's character, he said.

Political observers say current debate about Indonesia's future president will be academic if President Soeharto, now 75 years, decides to run for a seventh term.

So far, the incumbent has not publicly announced his intention. When asked, he has insisted the matter should be decided by the people.

President Soeharto has been elected unopposed to the post six times since 1968 by the MPR, where Golkar wields a commanding majority.

Deputy secretary-general Achmad Moestahid Astari said Golkar will not discuss candidates for vice president until after it has named its presidential candidate.

Nor will Golkar set a criteria for the job, he said.

To date the nomination of a vice presidential candidate has been done in consultation with the president.

Secretary-General Ary Mardjono said he was optimistic that Golkar would be returned to the House with a controlling majority.

"Our surveys show we have the nationwide support of 70.25 percent of eligible voters," he said.

In 1992, Golkar won 68 percent of vote compared with 72 percent five years earlier.

Ary did not rule out the possibility that Golkar's tally of votes could decline again next year.

"A lot depends on the performance of Golkar's campaign," he said.

Golkar hopes to announce the target percentage of votes at the conclusion of Sunday's meeting, he said.

Harmoko had previously announced that the bottom line target would be to equal the 68 percent the group won 1992, and that Golkar would go all out to win with as big margin as possible.

Harmoko on Wednesday also warned Golkar leaders in the region against being over-zealous and setting their targets too high. "They have to set realistic targets," he said. (imn)