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)