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)