Golkar unveils four names for 1999/2004 presidency

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar is mulling B.J. Habibie, Gen. Wiranto, Ginandjar Kartasasmita and Muladi for its presidential pick, the ruling political grouping's chairman Akbar Tandjung said on Tuesday.

Habibie appeared "the strongest candidate" of the four for Golkar in the presidential election scheduled in November, he said.

"Up to now Habibie's name has been raised as the strongest figure."

But Akbar said a nomination for the incumbent president would only be forthcoming if Golkar, through its leadership meeting, agreed to his candidacy.

"Besides Habibie, other strong figures are Pak Wiranto and Pak Ginandjar and Pak Muladi from the Reform Cabinet," he said.

He indicated that although opportunities were open for other figures, the four were superior candidates because of their experience in the administration.

Gen. Wiranto is minister of defense and security/Armed Forces (ABRI) commander, Ginandjar the coordinating minister for economy, finance and industry, and Muladi the justice minister,

Akbar said he would not run because he wished to concentrate on Golkar and "... I have no thought of becoming president because there are many other figures who are better than I am".

Golkar is to hold a leadership meeting in May, only weeks before the June 7 election.

Asked to comment on Golkar deputy chairman Marzuki Darusman's recent assertion that both Akbar and Habibie could be strong presidential candidates, Akbar said everyone was free to air an opinion on the matter, but it was not Golkar's official stance.

Apart from the Golkar choices, Amien Rais, the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), and Megawati Soekarnoputri, chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), have often been tipped as presidential material.

Separately, Lt. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, chief of ABRI's Territorial Affairs, said ABRI would not endorse a candidate for the presidential election.

"ABRI will concentrate more on its duties, not on the presidential candidates."

He added that it did not matter if the next president was from a military or civilian background.

He said ABRI was focusing on its main duties of maintaining security in the coming months and safeguarding the general election and the General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly in November.

"Of the most importance is that the next president should be able to lead the nation in defusing the crisis," he said.

The president must be "the best child of the nation", possessing the ability to lead Indonesia in the next five years in handling the crisis, implementing reform and continuing development.

Also required were integrity and good leadership skills, he said. With such criteria, he added, Indonesians should be able to make a wise presidential choice.

Elegant

Separately, Amien Rais criticized on Tuesday the motion to name Habibie Golkar's presidential candidate.

He warned Habibie of public rejection if he took up the nomination and advised him to leave office gracefully.

"It would be more elegant for Habibie not to join the race and to concentrate on his duties, (which include) preparing for a free and fair general election so a legitimate (new) government can be established," Amien said in the Asia-Germany Editors Forum discussion on pre-election Indonesia on Tuesday.

He doubted the public would accept Habibie's nomination because the latter was considered an intimate of former president Soeharto.

At another event on Tuesday, University of Indonesia political expert Arbi Sanit said Habibie's nomination would not be fitting because he represented the defects of the New Order regime.

"It's going to be hard for Habibie even if Golkar nominated him for the next election as the party itself is also carrying the legacy of past mistakes ... Golkar has lost its followers.

"Personally, Habibie is having trouble in gaining mass support as he only depends on the elite groups such as ICMI (Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals) and MUI (Indonesian Ulemas Council)," he said in a political discussion organized by the Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi).

He believed Habibie had failed to gain grassroots support for his government.

J. Kristiadi, a political analyst from the Center for International and Strategic Studies, noted that Habibie lacked a "selling point" to win over society.

"The figure for the presidential nomination must be accepted by the public. I think he doesn't have that 'selling point', namely a good track record," he said in a discussion. (rms/prb/edt)