Golkar vows to promote Habibie-Wiranto duet

Golkar vows to promote Habibie-Wiranto duet

JAKARTA (JP): Next month's Golkar executive meeting is
expected to endorse the nomination of incumbent President B.J.
Habibie and Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Wiranto as
its presidential and vice presidential candidates, the party's
chairman Akbar Tandjung said on Tuesday.

While emphasizing that he was only expressing his personal
view, Akbar praised the combination of Habibie, a civilian and
non-Javanese, and Wiranto, an Army general and a Javanese.

"The teamwork of Habibie and Wiranto is quite good," Akbar
said after attending the House of Representatives' plenary
session, where Habibie addressed the House on East Timor.

During a Golkar executive meeting in May, the party decided to
name Habibie the party's sole presidential candidate and nominate
Akbar, Wiranto, who is also minister of defense and security,
Yogyakarta Governor Hamengkubuwono X and Coordinating Minister
for Economy, Finance and Industry Ginandjar Kartasasmita as vice
presidential candidates.

"To be sure, Wiranto is Golkar's candidate for vice
president," said Akbar, who served Habibie as minister/state
secretary until May.

While insisting Golkar would support Habibie, Marzuki
Darusman, one of Akbar's closest deputies, said it would be
difficult for Habibie to be nominated president due to his poor
achievements during his one-year tenure.

Habibie summoned Akbar to his private residence on Friday
evening and reportedly demanded assurances of his nomination from
Akbar and warned of the consequences if Golkar was not consistent
with its support for him.

Sources close to Habibie confirmed the meeting, but alleged
Akbar's supporters had leaked the conversation to the media in a
bid to tarnish Habibie's image.

One day after the meeting, Akbar indicated a possible change
in Golkar's stance on Habibie. He said Golkar could review its
position during the leadership meeting, which precedes the
party's Oct. 20 anniversary celebration.

"The party leadership meeting is the only forum authorized to
make such a crucial decision. However, I will tell them the
tandem of Habibie and Wiranto is quite adequate," said Akbar on
Tuesday.

Akbar, who served 10 years as a Cabinet minister under former
president Soeharto, has held intensive meetings with the leaders
of major political parties, including Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) chairwoman and Habibie's stiffest
rival Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Separately, Marzuki said on Tuesday that Akbar's statement on
Wiranto's suitability to be named a presidential candidate was
merely Akbar's personal view, and it was based on Habibie's own
insistence.

Golkar, said Marzuki, will officially ask Habibie to choose
one of the four candidates as his partner in the next
presidential contest.

Marzuki, also chairman of National Commission on Human Rights,
however, warned that Golkar should anticipate possible negative
responses from both the domestic and the international public on
the duet of Habibie and Wiranto.

"This is only a dissemination process, not more than that," he
said on the promotion of Habibie and Wiranto.

The presidential election will cap the General Session of the
People's Consultative Assembly in November. (05/rms/prb)