Harmoko vague over vice presidency talks

JAKARTA (JP): House Speaker Harmoko was vague yesterday over speculation that House leaders would discuss the next vice presidential candidacy with a team of presidential advisors scheduled to visit the legislative body today.

"Maybe yes, maybe no," said Harmoko, who is also chairman of the 1,000-strong People's Consultative Assembly which will convene next March to elect a president and vice president.

Harmoko is also chairman of the dominant Golkar faction that has declared its support for the renomination of incumbent President Soeharto for another five-year term of office next March.

So far, Golkar has not stated its stance on vice presidential candidates, although one of its affiliates, Kosgoro, has drawn up a set of criteria for the second top post.

Harmoko said that if the presidential advisory team on state ideology Pancasila, known here as P-7, would give inputs on the subject, the legislative body would not treat them any differently than those submitted by other groups or individuals.

"We will not respond to names of vice presidential candidates (should they be given by the advisory team)," he told reporters at the House of Representatives. "We will file them and channel them to each MPR faction when the time comes."

The same team, led by team chairman, former vice president Sudharmono, reported to President Soeharto at the Bina Graha presidential office Tuesday on the current national situation.

Soeharto was quoted by Sudharmono as saying that only the MPR has a final say on the vice presidency.

Separately, political observer Fachry Ali speculated yesterday that Soeharto's statement indicated he already had his own candidate for vice presidency.

"The meeting with the P-7 team was important. I think the President has decided who the person will be," Fachry told reporters after a seminar on business ethics here yesterday.

"The only problem is that the candidate's name is yet to be mentioned," he said.

The 1945 Constitution stipulates that a president and vice president are elected in a five yearly meeting of the MPR. Both can be reelected.

Several names have been raised as vice presidential material including incumbent Try Sutrisno, State Minister of National Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita, State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie and Minister of Defense Edi Sudradjat.

Fachry said that constitutionally discussions on the presidency and vice presidency would only be held at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) general meeting.

"However, a sudden statement by Pak Dhar (Sudharmono's nickname) indicated that the President already has a name for the vice presidency in his pocket," he said.

He added that the statement should serve as a warning to the public to quit discourse on vice presidential candidates.

"Premature discussions on vice presidential candidates could disintegrate the nation, and will only divide people," he said. (imn/amd)