Habibie faces tough competition in ICMI

Habibie faces tough competition in ICMI

JAKARTA (JP): B.J. Habibie, the incumbent chairman of the
influential Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals, or
ICMI, will face stiff competition during the upcoming chairman
elections.

While he is still the most popular candidate with the widest
support from ICMI branches, Habibie is reportedly closely tailed
by Emil Salim, Amien Rais, Achmad Tirtosudiro and Adi Sasono. The
four last names have repeatedly crept up during preliminary
elections at the branch level across the country, an ICMI member
told The Jakarta Post.

Tamsil Linrung, a member of the organizing committee for next
month's ICMI congress, said that Habibie, who is also State
Minister for Research and Technology, still has the upper hand
and would likely retain his seat.

"Most branches still want him," he said.

Emil is a former minister of environment, a professor of
economics and a respected Moslem thinker. Amien is chairman of
the 28-million member Muhammadiyah Moslem organization, an
international relations expert as well as a member of ICMI's
board of experts.

Achmad Tirtosudiro, a retired serviceman, is former ambassador
to Germany and Saudi Arabia; he is currently chairman of ICMI's
Jakarta branch. Adi Sasono, a fast-rising star of the
organization, is a former student activist and has long been
involved in non-governmental organizations.

Amien and Adi have openly stated their support for the re-
election of Habibie, as have a number of branch leaders. Emil has
so far kept silent when asked about his possible nomination.

Tamsil said each of the 343 units of the organization has been
asked to submit a list of their ten choices for ICMI leaders. The
lists will then be brought to regional branches, each of which
will later be required to submit a list of 17 names to the
congress.

Finally, the congress, to be held from Dec. 7 to Dec. 9, will
choose 45 members for the 1995-2000 executive board. Sources said
that the congress will likely choose Habibie by acclamation,
given his achievements in leading the government-backed
organization.

Meanwhile, legislator A.M. Saefuddin, who has repeatedly
called for another figure to lead ICMI, received support from
Hadimulyo, a fellow legislator. Both men are members of the
United Development Party faction.

Hadimulyo recently agreed with Saefuddin that ICMI should be
led by another man not as busy as Habibie, who currently holds
down dozens of government and private positions.

A supporter of Habibie, scholar M. Dawam Rahardjo, responded
by saying that Habibie would lead ICMI as long as President
Soeharto gave him his blessing.

He said Emil Salim is not suited for the job. "So far, there's
no other figure who can replace Habibie," he said last week.

Political observer Maswadi Rauf, however, said that the
organization would achieve more independence if it didn't have a
cabinet minister as its next chairperson.

The lecturer at the University of Indonesia's School of Social
and Political Sciences said on Saturday that people have always
linked ICMI's achievements to the fact that it is chaired by a
minister.

Erasing the image of this dependence is "the most difficult
challenge for ICMI", he said.

The public's wish that ministers not chair mass organizations,
in order for them to fully concentrate to their posts, should be
heeded, he said.

Whoever is elected chairman, Maswadi said, will also have to
do much to attract young people to the organization. (swe/01)