Gus Dur wins ticket to Senayan

Gus Dur wins ticket to Senayan

JAKARTA (JP): Muslim leader Abdurrahman Wahid was among 63
legislative candidates endorsed on Monday by the General
Elections Commission (KPU) to represent various interest groups
at the People's Consultative Assembly.

The KPU approved Abdurrahman to represent the country's
largest Muslim organization, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), which he
chairs after a vote in which 51 were in favor of him and four
against.

"The debate over interest group representatives is over and we
will soon report the selection outcome to the President," said
KPU chairman Rudini.

The decision to pass Abdurrahman, also known as Gus Dur, was
made after Agus Miftach, a member of the subcommission team in
charge of selecting the legislators, met with Abdurrahman and
several other NU executives last Friday to discuss Abdurrahman's
candidacy.

Earlier, Agus was a strong contender for Abdurrahman's
nomination because of his close ties with the National Awakening
Party (PKB). Abdurrahman is the party's founder.

KPU has decided to recruit nonpartisans only for MPR interest
group members.

A series of demonstrations in support of Abdurrahman marked
the debate in the subcommission.

Except for Heroe Syswanto NS from the Indonesian Film Artists
Association (Parfi) and Fransisca Titi Vharmana of the Al
Ittihadiyah Muslim organization, nominations of the MPR
legislators were approved.

The qualifiers include Siswono Yudohusodo of the Indonesian
Farmers Association (HKTI), Feisal Tamin of the Indonesian Civil
Servants Organization (Korpri), Nursyahbani Katjasungkana of
women's organization APIK, Rais Abin of the Indonesian Veterans
Legion (LVRI) and Sri Mulyono Herlambang of Freedom Fighters
Students Association (PKB PPK).

Another member, Marzuki Usman, recently resigned from his
position as state minister of investment to represent his
organization, the Indonesian Economists Association (ISEI).

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and
Industry Ginandjar Kartasasmita confirmed on Monday that he
planned to resign from the Cabinet if he is appointed a member of
the MPR.

Ginandjar said he would like to serve a five-year term in the
Assembly.

He will quit from the Cabinet as soon as his appointment as
Golkar representative for West Java is confirmed this month, he
said, then added that President B.J. Habibie had given his
blessings to his plan.

"If I am to end my career in serving the nation by becoming an
MPR member, then this is an honor. It is impossible that someone
would want to remain a minister forever," said Ginandjar before
attending the National Defense and Security Council
(Wanhankamnas) meeting at Bina Graha presidential office, which
was chaired by Habibie.

The new members of the House of Representatives and the
Assembly will be installed on Oct.1. Presidential and vice
presidential elections will be held in November. (05/prb)