Govt officials, observers differ on presidency

Govt officials, observers differ on presidency

JAKARTA (JP): Government officials opposed yesterday the
recent suggestion that civilians were not as qualified as those
with a military background to lead the country and would not be
ready for at least another five years.

State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie
insisted that civilians were more deserving of the top post on
grounds that they made up the majority of Indonesia's population.

"It's deplorable if we allow only a small group to obtain
national leadership without giving a chance to the larger group,"
Habibie said after a hearing with House of Representatives
Commission X, which deals with science and technology.

Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security
Soesilo Soedarman and Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M.
separately agreed that the race for the presidency remained open
to civilians. However, military analysts Salim Said and Yahya
Muhaimin said the time for nonmilitary figures has yet to come.

Equipped with statistical data, Habibie said the number of
active and retired Armed Forces (ABRI) members only amounted to
600,000 people, while there were about 100 million civilians who
met basic qualifications of becoming state leaders.

"Mathematically, the larger group has more qualified
candidates for the top post," he said.

Habibie is considered to be a strong candidate for the vice
presidency along with State Minister of National Development
Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita and Minister of Information R.
Hartono.

He said giving the military an exclusive right to lead the
country would devastate the national goal of bringing welfare to
all.

"I don't think the Armed Forces has any intention of claiming
the exclusive right," Habibie said.

Soesilo said both civilians and servicemen had an equal
opportunity to become a president.

"For me, it's okay if a candidate is a civilian or member of
the Armed Forces. The most important thing is that he or she
meets the criteria and is ready for presidential tasks," Soesilo
said after addressing the 1997 International Maritime Conference
here yesterday.

Yogie also expressed his belief that both civilians and
members of the Armed Forces were equally capable for the job. "It
will depend on the People's Consultative Assembly on who will
become the next president," he said.

The officials and observers were responding to an earlier
suggestion by political analyst Juwono Sudarsono that at present
only candidates with a military background, not civilians, had
the capacity to become president, at least until 2005. Juwono is
deputy governor of the military think tank, the National
Resilience Institute.

Soesilo said he never doubted the capability of the country's
current generation.

Yogie said: "This country has 200 million (potential
candidates) for the presidency," referring to Indonesia's current
population.

Observers

Salim Said and Yahya Muhaimin, however, separately supported
Juwono's statement.

"Civilians would only be able to reach the country's top
position if they had the support of the Armed Forces," Salim said
after meeting with Minister of Information R. Hartono at the
latter's office yesterday. Salim visited the minister in his
capacity as chairman of the Jakarta Arts Council.

Salim said civilian organizations were not solid enough to
support a civilian candidate for the state leadership race.

"It'll take some time before a civilian will rise to the
country's top position," he said.

Political observer Yahya Muhaimin of Yogyakarta said ABRI's
supremacy in the country's political arena lay more on historical
rather than conceptual grounds.

"The New Order government, backed by the Armed Forces, saw
that stability was key to sustainable development. And the Armed
Forces has been playing an important role in maintaining
stability," said Yahya, who is dean of Gadjah Mada University's
School of Social and Political Sciences.

Salim, however, dismissed the suggestion that the strong
presence of ABRI in the country's political arena hampered
civilians and their organizations from developing.

"It's not true. Preventing civilians from accessing politics
could lead to a social explosion," he said.

Salim cited social conditions that need to be met before
civilians could lead the country, including a strong middle
class, and that civilians should have good relations in business
circles.

Yahya suggested that the next cabinet combine both civilian
and military leaders in order to establish a strong government.
(amd/05/23/imn)