ICMI to hold congress to elect new leaders

ICMI to hold congress to elect new leaders

JAKARTA (JP): The influential Association of Indonesian Moslem
Intellectuals (ICMI) will hold a congress in December to elect
new leaders for the 1995-2000 period.

President Soeharto will open the four-day congress on Dec. 6.
A total of 1,000 leading members are expected to participate in
the Rp 2 billion (approximately US$ 890,000) gathering.

Incumbent chairman B.J. Habibie, who is also state minister of
research and technology, will very likely retain his position,
given the strong support he enjoys from the Jakarta branch, which
accounts for 50 out of the 343 units of the organization, both
here and abroad.

"To be honest, we don't see any other person who fits the bill
as ICMI chairman," Tamsil Linrung, an activist of the Jakarta
branch and organizer of the congress, said here yesterday.

"In fact, Habibie is the most suitable person to become next
president of Indonesia. Who else in Indonesia has been the most
achieving person this year?" Linrung said.

During a recent preliminary meeting, leaders of the Jakarta
branch came up with several potential chairman candidates,
including Minister of Information Harmoko, but none appeared to
have as strong support as Habibie.

ICMI was established in 1990, and has since then gone from
strength to strength, obtaining not only the support of President
Soeharto and cabinet ministers, but also local community leaders
across the country. The organization is considered to have great
political clout, and to be instrumental in ushering in a new era
of improved relations between the Islamic community and the
government.

The congress will also be filled with discussions, which will
focus mainly on human resource development strategies. "The
congress' theme shows that, since its establishment, ICMI has
been consistent on human resource development as an effort to
develop the country," Tamsil said.

Senior officials

The gathering will also hear from a number of senior
government officials, including Armed Forces Commander Gen.
Feisal Tanjung and Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher.

Abdus Salam, a winner of the Nobel-prize for physics, and Ali
Muhammad Ali, the secretary-general of an international Islamic
organization, Rabithah Alam Islamy, will give scientific orations
during the meeting.

The organizing committee is also preparing a series of related
activities, including several seminars and a writing contest for
students. The first seminar, to be held on Sept. 9, will evaluate
the organization's performance and contributions during its five
years of existence.

Leading intellectuals, including Yusril Mahendra, Dawam
Rahardjo and Taufik Abdullah, will speak at the gathering.

"There's always the possibility that these seminars will also
feature some staunch critics of ICMI, including Abdurrahman
Wahid," Tamsil said, referring to the chairman of the 28-million
strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) who has often criticized the
intellectuals association for its perceived proximity to power
holders.

A special discussion will also be held to review Soeharto,
Habibie dan Islam (Soeharto, Habibie and Islam), a book written
by journalist Adian Husaini. Political scientist Arbi Sanit will
speak at that event.

Prominent members of the organization, including journalist
Nasir Tamara, senior ulema Ali Yafie, social and political
scientists Masdar F. Mas'udi and Dewi Fortuna Anwar, will conduct
smaller group discussions and prepare a set of recommendations to
be issued at the conclusion of the congress.

"They will tackle various issues, including, probably, the
succession of national leadership," Tamsil said. (swe)