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)