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)