Hartono sets pace in race for VP: Analyst
Hartono sets pace in race for VP: Analyst
JAKARTA (JP): With incumbent President Soeharto looking set to
stay in power, Minister of Information R. Hartono has the
greatest chance to fill the vice presidential seat, a political
analyst believes.
Maswadi Rauf, a professor at the University of Indonesia's
School of Social and Political Sciences, said yesterday that
former Army chief of staff Hartono held two trump cards which
made him the front runner in the race for the country's second
top post: acceptability to various groups and proximity to
Soeharto.
"Although he (Hartono) is not chairman of any political
organization, he has gained huge support or at least sympathy.
"Closeness to President Soeharto and his daughter Siti
Hardiyanti Rukmana without doubt helps Hartono gain the
President's confidence," Maswadi said.
The People's Consultative Assembly has so far received 14
names for the vice presidency from a variety of groups. They
include Hartono, incumbent Try Sutrisno, House Speaker Harmoko,
State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie and State
Minister of National Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita.
Hartono chairs the Assembly's ad hoc committee deliberating
the draft of the 1998/2003 State Policy Guidelines.
Maswadi said all the candidates were equal in terms of
managerial skills, but recent political developments favored
Hartono.
According to Maswadi, Soeharto himself paved the way for
Hartono's march on the vice presidency by admitting him into the
cabinet in June last year at Harmoko's expense. Hartono had
almost completed his tenure as the Army's chief of staff when he
received the ministerial appointment.
"The cabinet is an appropriate place to groom a vice
president," Maswadi said.
Three of the previous five vice presidents under the New Order
were former cabinet ministers. Try was the Armed Forces Chief
before becoming vice president.
Try
Maswadi discounted Try's chances, saying that history was not
on his side.
"None of the country's previous vice presidents was given a
second term. I agree with the tradition because it does not allow
a person to hold the position for too long," said Maswadi.
He admitted such a convention could not work when it came to
the presidency, but thought that in the future the leader of a
political organization which wins the general election should
take the top job.
"The democratic essence of general elections is the ability
for the poll winner's leader to run for the presidency," said
Maswadi.
The 1,000-member Assembly will convene from March 1 to March
11 to elect the president and vice president. The presidential
election takes place on March 10, with the vice presidential
election the next day.
Only the five factions in the Assembly have the authority to
nominate presidential and vice presidential candidates. All vice
presidential nominations must receive the approval of the newly
elected president.
Many believe the vice presidential post will be more crucial
than ever in the next five years, as the person will have to
automatically assume the top post should the president stand
down. (amd)