Habibie unchallenged in VP election
Habibie unchallenged in VP election
JAKARTA (JP): Golkar chairman Harmoko bowed out of the vice
presidential race yesterday, leaving the coast clear for State
Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie to press forward
unchallenged.
Harmoko claimed he "gracefully" threw in the towel because he,
among other things, wanted to concentrate on his duties as the
Speaker of both the House of Representatives and the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) -- the body in charge of the
presidential and vice presidential elections next month.
"Golkar will nominate only one of its cadres for the vice
presidency, namely Habibie," Harmoko told a media briefing,
adding that Golkar's chief patron, President Soeharto, has
instructed the organization to follow up the stance with formal
procedures.
Golkar had previously named both Harmoko and Habibie. Harmoko
said that he decided to quit during a meeting with the chief
patron last week.
When the press asked whether Golkar's choice would help
restore the country's ailing economy, Harmoko said the nomination
had nothing to do with Indonesia's currency exchange rate or
control over the price of the nine basic commodities.
"(Naming Habibie as the sole vice presidential candidate) is
the responsibility of Golkar as the country's biggest political
organization," he said.
Habibie's lone trip in the race was virtually secured hours
later after the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) joined Golkar
and fellow minority United Development Party (PPP) in supporting
Habibie yesterday.
PDI Chairman Soerjadi told a media briefing that his party had
decided to name Habibie -- rather than selecting someone from
among its own cadres -- as its sole candidate, after reflecting
on the tough obstacles that Indonesia will face over the next
five years.
"We believe Pak Habibie will be able to cope with various
problems in the future. We would not choose him if we did not
believe in him", Soerjadi said, adding that the stance was taken
to facilitate a smooth MPR session next month.
The Moslem-based PPP declared its decision to support Habibie
on Sunday.
Soerjadi denied that the minority party was simply mimicking
the other political groupings, saying that it had consulted
Habibie and six other potential candidates, including incumbent
vice president Try Soetrisno, before reaching its final decision.
"We did not choose (Habibie because he is) a Golkar cadre, but
(because he is) a figure who deserves the vice presidential post.
The same reasoning applies in our renomination of President
Soeharto," he said.
Habibie himself declined to comment on the overwhelming
support given to him.
"I suggest you (journalists) wait until the Assembly's general
session," said Habibie after leading a meeting of Golkar's board
of patrons. He is the 1998 coordinator of the board.
Asked for comment, Habibie said he would consider the post a
burden because he would then have to help the elected president
meet the people's aspirations and respond to the global
challenges of the next century.
Separately, the secretary of Golkar's board of patrons, Akbar
Tanjung, suggested ending all speculation over the next vice
president, given the secure position that Habibie now enjoyed.
He said there was no doubt that Habibie would now be the sole
vice presidential candidate put forward in the General Session of
the People's Consultative Assembly next month.
He added that the remaining MPR factions -- the regional
representatives and the Armed Forces -- would declare their vice
presidential candidates in the next few days.
Akbar Tanjung dismissed speculation that Harmoko withdrew from
the race because President Soeharto ordered him to do so.
"No, it (the decision to name Habibie) was reached in an
(earlier) meeting of Golkar's big family," he said.
Golkar's big family includes the Armed Forces, and the
bureaucrats and mass organizations under Golkar's supervision.
Akbar again reiterated that Habibie was the man who met all of
the criteria for a vice president established by Golkar's chief
patron, Soeharto. (amd/imn)