Harmoko, Habibie named Golkar's VP choices

Harmoko, Habibie named Golkar's VP choices

JAKARTA (JP): The ruling political organization Golkar has
decided to support both its chairman Harmoko and State Minister
of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie in next month's vice
presidential election, deputy chairman Abdul Gafur said
yesterday.

Gafur announced the two names at a media conference after a
plenary meeting of the political organization's executive board
late last night at its secretariat in West Jakarta.

Harmoko is speaker of both the House of Representatives and
the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR). Habibie is chairman of
the Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI).

The nomination of the candidates will not be final, however,
until Golkar discusses it with its allies -- the Armed Forces,
the bureaucracy and supporting mass organizations -- and its
chief patron President Soeharto.

"The final decision will depend on the chairman of the board
of patrons," a source said.

The two other political organizations -- the United
Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
-- are likely to have different candidates from Golkar.

PPP

PPP's deputy secretary-general, Bachtiar Chamsyah, said
yesterday his party was inclined toward nominating both Habibie
and its chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum for vice president.

The final decision, however, will be taken in a limited
leadership meeting soon, he said.

Adi Sasono of the Center for Information and Development
Studies (CIDES), a political think tank established by ICMI,
dismissed speculation that Habibie had failed to win the support
of the Jimbaran group of conglomerates and non-indigenous
Indonesians.

"It's not true," he said as quoted by Antara. "I've frequently
met with members of the Jimbaran group and they said they did not
have any problems with Habibie's vice presidential nomination."

The minority PDI is meanwhile taking a relaxed approach to the
question of vice presidential candidates, allowing branches and
chapters to decide for themselves.

PDI chairman Soerjadi said the party's executive board would
be democratic by not intervening in the selection process.

"We will also let all the branch offices decide among
themselves whether they will announce the candidates or not,"
Soerjadi said.

At least five branches support the nomination of a military
figure for the vice presidency. Names with a military background
who have been mentioned as possible candidates include incumbent
Try Sutrisno, Minister of Information R. Hartono and Army Chief
of Staff Gen. Wiranto.

ABRI

The Armed Forces MPR faction chief, Lt. Gen. Yunus Yosfiah,
said his faction was taking the cautious approach not to name any
names before the start of the MPR general session next month for
fear of hustling the elected president into endorsing its
candidates.

Yunus said the Armed Forces faction had learned from history
and would not want a repeat of what happened in 1993 when then
chief of sociopolitical affairs Lt. Gen. Harsudiono Hartas
blurted out Try's name before the MPR session. This move
reportedly forced the other four MPR factions to follow suit.

"An early announcement may create the impression that we are
dictating to people to accept our choice," he said.

In a related development, senior economist and former cabinet
minister Emil Salim said he would be ready if people wanted him
to join the vice presidential race.

"Whatever situation the country is now experiencing, we have
to comply with the people's requests," he told the media
yesterday.

Speaking about the mechanism for his vice presidential
nomination, Emil suggested that those supporting him should
forward theirs aspiration to any of the five MPR factions.
(imn/09/amd)