Hamzah Haz coy over vice presidential post

Hamzah Haz coy over vice presidential post

PURWOKERTO, Central Java (JP): United Development Party (PPP)
Chairman Hamzah Haz on Sunday played down talk that the party was
already warming up a vice presidential candidate, saying instead
that such talk was premature.

Hamzah said it was far too early to make such a move at the
present time since the fate of President Abdurrahman Wahid at the
upcoming special session of the People's Consultative Assembly
was far from sealed.

"Nobody can say what the outcome of the upcoming special
session will be ... so it would be irrelevant to talk about a
vice presidential candidate now," Hamzah said during a party
meeting in Brebes on Sunday.

Hamzah was somewhat coy when asked about the party's critical
stance towards the President thus far, saying that if Abdurrahman
could provide acceptable explanations he could continue as
president.

"If Gus Dur shows satisfactory improvements, then we won't
impeach him," Hamzah remarked.

Earlier, PPP had indicated its intention of nominating Hamzah
as the new vice president should the incumbent Vice President
Megawati Soekarnoputri be sworn in as President replacing
Abdurrahman.

Hamzah on Sunday stressed that a Cabinet reshuffle was an
important prerequisite for Abdurrahman's survival as president.

"Abdurrahman must reshuffle his cabinet because the current
government only represents some 10 percent of the power structure
in the House. He should pay attention to that if he wishes his
presidency to continue," Hamzah said.

Meanwhile, a caucus of legislators from Indonesia's eastern
regions, dubbed Iramasuka, after a meeting in Jakarta on Saturday
affirmed that they had prepared candidates to stand for the
potential vice presidential vacancy.

Marwah Daud Ibrahim, a Golkar Party legislator, said that the
caucus has identified three candidates to run for the position,
Hamzah Haz, former minister Ryaas Rasyid and former chief of
Supreme Advisory Agency (DPA) A.A.Baramuli.

"The three names came to the fore during our meeting and I
think it would be appropriate to have someone from Eastern
Indonesia to hold one of the highest positions in the
government," Marwah told journalists. (dja/45)