Harmoko faces competition for top post at House
JAKARTA (JP): Despite being widely tipped to be elected House speaker for the 1997/2002 term, Golkar chairman Harmoko found himself facing tough competition from the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction which declared its own candidate yesterday.
The tiny Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) faction had also promised to field its senior politician, Fatimah Achmad, as its candidate for the House position.
"As a good citizen, I'm ready (to become House speaker)," Harmoko said yesterday after the ceremony inducting members of the House of Representatives and People's Consultative Assembly. He was among those sworn in.
"We'll nominate our most senior man," said Maj. Gen. Hari Sabarno, chairman of the ABRI faction at the House of Representatives. He was referring to Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, former ABRI chief of sociopolitical affairs, who was also sworn in and became the most senior officer among the 75 ABRI legislators.
"We'll lobby various parties for it," PDI secretary-general Buttu R. Hutapea said about the campaign to have Fatimah win the election. The tiny PDI party only had 11 legislators in the House and five in the Assembly.
The ruling Golkar, which had 325 and 488 members in the House of Representatives (DPR) and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) respectively, pledged yesterday to go all out in its campaign for Harmoko.
Golkar executives Theo L. Sambuaga and Ary Mardjono said that Golkar legislators would "give it our best".
Syarwan appeared to be the dark horse in the race, as previously the widespread perception was that Harmoko was the prime candidate for the post.
Harmoko recently met with President Soeharto and came out to tell the press that "political logic" dictated that the winner of the general election lead the House. Harmoko led Golkar to grab 74.3 percent of the vote in the May election.
The United Development Party (PPP), which has 89 House legislators and 134 in the assembly, did not name any candidates yesterday.
Its deputy chairwoman Aisyah Amini only expressed hope that its chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum could become one of the deputy House speakers. Ismail was deputy House speaker during 1992/1997 term.
Victory
Theo, who is chairman of the Golkar faction at the House, and Ary Mardjono, the secretary of Golkar at the Assembly, also said they would campaign for Abdul Gafur to become a deputy House speaker.
"That's not a problem," Ary said when asked about the fact that other factions had their own candidates.
Chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council Sudomo agreed that Harmoko had the best chance to win. "I am sure and have the feeling that Harmoko will be elected as the next House speaker," he said after the ceremony.
He did not rule out, however, the possibility of other people winning the position. "It will rest on the House itself. All candidates have the same opportunity to become House speaker," he said.
In the past, the House speaker usually became the speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly.
Aisyah Amini expressed uncertainty whether Ismail Hasan would be able to win the race if he was nominated.
PPP secretary-general Tosari Widjaja was similarly modest. "We'll welcome any decision made by House and Assembly factions on (Ismail), whether he will become the House speaker or deputy House speaker," he said.
Some legislators did not rule out the possibility of voting in the House speaker election. Voting is an accepted, albeit frowned upon, method of election, given the importance that the community places on deliberation for consensus. (imn/swe)