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)