Gus Dur, Sudharmono dampen talks on VP

Gus Dur, Sudharmono dampen talks on VP

JAKARTA (JP): A Moslem scholar and a presidential advisor
sought to dampen yesterday growing public speculation on who will
be Indonesia's next vice president.

Abdurrahman Wahid, the chairman of the 30-million-strong
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem organization, said that discourses on
the subject were actually a waste of time. Separately,
Sudharmono, the chairman of the presidential advisory team on
state ideology Pancasila propagation (P-7), pointed out that only
the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has a final say on the
matter.

Abdurrahman told reporters after meeting with Vice President
Try Sutrisno yesterday that debates on the vice presidency was a
waste of people's time.

"The Assembly will handle the election of vice president.
Other voices will not be heard," said Abdurrahman, who is better
known as Gus Dur.

Abdurrahman, together with other NU executives, reported to
Try yesterday the organization's preparations for a leadership
meeting in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, Sunday. The meeting will
last until next Friday.

The meeting will discuss a wide range of topics, including
cloning technology, human rights protection and the state
leadership succession.

"However, we'll not recommend any names for state leadership,"
Abdurrahman said.

Sudharmono, who visited the leaders of the House of
Representatives/People's Consultative Assembly yesterday, said
the P-7 did not have any criteria for the vice presidency.

"We do not specify criteria for the vice presidency other
those already stipulated in the 1945 Constitution and the MPR
decree." he said.

Sudharmono, who is also a former vice president, led a
delegation of P-7 members in a visit to the Assembly to submit
the team's draft for the 1998/2003 State Policy Guidelines.

"Any decision on the vice presidency will rest on the MPR," he
said, "However, a candidate must be able to cooperate with the
elected president."

Sudharmono said it was not advisable for any of the five
factions at the MPR to announce its candidates before the proper
time.

"It would be risky to announce candidates for vice president
long before the election as it could lead to disintegration," he
said.

Members of the 1,000-strong MPR will reconvene next March to
elect a president and vice president and endorse the 1998/2003
State Policy Guidelines.

Separately yesterday, a group of former independence fighters
said that state leaders should retire if they were unhealthy and
let the younger generation take over their position.

The Council of 1945 Generation's secretary-general, R.
Soeprapto, said state leaders of the older generation should
listen to what people have to say about future leadership.
(amd/prb/imn)