Habibie only needs Armed Forces' nod

Habibie only needs Armed Forces' nod

JAKARTA (JP): B.J. Habibie only needs the Armed Forces' nod to
make his vice presidential nomination a forgone conclusion after
the country's 27 governors lined up behind him yesterday.

The regional leaders' endorsement means that Habibie, the
state minister of research and technology, has secured the
backing of four of the five factions in the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR).

The governors form the regional representatives faction in the
Assembly, the highest law-making body that elects the president
and the vice president.

The Moslem-oriented United Development Party (PPP), the
dominant Golkar and the minority Indonesian Democratic Party
(PDI) have all fielded the technology tsar as their sole
candidate.

"Our decision on Habibie's nomination is final," Minister of
Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. said in a press conference after
chairing the governors' meeting.

Yogie, who supervises the MPR's regional representatives
faction and Golkar's bureaucrats, said Habibie's vice
presidential nomination was decided by the three elements that
form the backbone of Golkar: the Armed Forces, the bureaucracy
and mass organizations affiliated to the political grouping.

"Originally, the bureaucrats had two names for the vice
presidency -- Harmoko and Habibie," he said, "but then Harmoko
withdrew his (decision to accept the) nomination."

He said that the result of the meeting had also been reported
to the chairman of Golkar's board of patrons, President Soeharto.

"The President asked the regional representative faction to
formally nominate Habibie in the MPR," he said.

Habibie said yesterday that all the MPR factions' support for
him was "really an honor".

"It'll be an honor for me to assist the elected president," he
told reporters after accompanying President Soeharto at a state
function at the State Palace yesterday.

Asked whether he would be ready for the nomination, Habibie
said: "Yes and I believe that's everybody's answer, too."

Habibie's nomination was strongly opposed yesterday by former
Golkar legislator Iskandar Mandji. He argued that
constitutionally, a president and vice president should be made
public by the MPR.

"The vice presidential candidates should only be announced in
the MPR's general session," he said, "Besides, each faction
should consult the president-elect before announcing its
candidate."

Political observer Amien Rais said yesterday he was not
interested in talking about the Soeharto-Habibie leadership
ticket.

"The real issue is whether the future president and vice
president are able to handle the deepening economic crisis and
restructure the Indonesian economy," he told reporters in
Surakarta, Central Java.

"If they are not, the already-battered economy would only
worsen further," said Amien, who has nominated himself president.

Amien said he was pessimistic that he could win a ticket to
run for the presidency next month because he doubted that any MPR
faction would have the courage to nominate anyone other than the
incumbent Soeharto.

"The five MPR factions will surely renominate President
Soeharto," he said.

Speaking about senior economist Emil Salim's bid for the vice
presidency, Yogie said the former minister was free to go on with
his campaign.

"But our candidate is only one, Habibie," he said.

On Monday, noted figures Herawati Diah, Nelly Adam Malik and
Saparinah Sadli -- on behalf of 128 scholars and public figures
seeking Emil's nomination -- presented their petition to the MPR
regional representatives faction.

Emil says his main purpose is not to win the race but, rather,
to set an example of how the principles of democracy should be
exercised.

"Do you (journalists) think that Emil Salim still has the
opportunity while the three political organizations and the
regional representatives faction have declared their support for
Habibie?" Deputy House Speaker Syarwan Hamid said as quoted by
Antara yesterday.

Deputy MPR speaker Poedjono Pranjoto insisted that Emil's
window of opportunity was not completely closed, saying that each
MPR faction had the right to have more than one candidate.
(imn/prb/har)