Habibie may face competition for ICMI's top post
Habibie may face competition for ICMI's top post
JAKARTA (JP): The re-election of B.J. Habibie as chairman of
the Indonesian Association of Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI) at the
group's congress next month is by no means a foregone conclusion,
the organizers said yesterday.
Achmad Tirtosudiro, the chairman of the congress's organizing
committee, told reporters that although many branches of the
association have called on Habibie's re-election, formal
nominations are not due until the congress begins on Dec. 7.
Habibie, who is also the State Minister of Research and
Technology, is the front-runner in the run-up to the chairmanship
election, the main agenda at ICMI's three-day congress.
Adi Sasono, a senior ICMI executive and a member of the
congress organizing committee, said another name that has been
mentioned as a possible candidate for the post is former minister
of environment Emil Salim.
"There may be other candidates, but the organizing committee
has only received those two," said Adi, the chairman of the
Center for Information and Development Studies.
He gave assurances that the election would be determined by
the congress, and not by outside forces.
Achmad, a retired Army lieutenant general and currently
chairman of ICMI's branch in Jakarta, said he personally thought
that Habibie's leadership is still needed by ICMI.
"But whether he will be a chairman again, or be appointed to
ICMI's board of patrons, as has been suggested, is up to the
congress to decide," he said.
Some political observers have suggested that the congress
refrain from reappointing Habibie to run the organization's day-
to-day activities. They argue that Habibie, often dubbed the
"super minister", should be reserved for the more important
position of ICMI "statesman".
Achmad said the congress, which will cost Rp 2 billion
($870,000) to stage, will be attended by 1,500 participants from
ICMI's 433 branches, including 43 abroad.
President Soeharto, who is also chief of ICMI's board of
patrons, is scheduled to open the congress at the Hotel Wisata
International.
Other programs during the congress will include a two-day
symposium to discuss various national issues and the launching of
five books about ICMI, Achmad said. (01)