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)