ICMI to set criteria for candidates

ICMI to set criteria for candidates

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI) said on
Saturday that it would set criteria for presidential candidates
as guidelines for the people to elect their future leader.

It also said that it would not support founder and former
president B.J. Habibie as a candidate in the 2004 elections, when
the country is scheduled to hold its first direct presidential
election.

"ICMI will not push for Habibie's candidacy, but will set
guidelines to help people in choosing the president," ICMI
chairman Muslimin Nasution was quoted by tempointeraktif.com as
saying.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the association's
three-day national meeting, Nasution said ICMI would become a
movement to ensure the success of the coming direct election.

He said despite the wish of several ICMI leaders, Habibie had
turned down their requests.

"He makes the decision," Nasution said.

A total of 24 political parties have been declared eligible
for the legislative election in April 20, 2004 and two-stage
presidential election in July and September respectively.

Habibie took over as president after Soeharto stepped down in
May 1998. On Oct. 20, 1999, the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR) elected Abdurrahman Wahid as the country's fourth
president. Since then, Habibie has been residing in Germany to
attend to his ailing wife and has rarely returned to Indonesia.

ICMI was established in 1990 by Habibie, then state minister
of research and technology under Soeharto's regime, and was seen
as a political vehicle for Soeharto to garner support from Muslim
scholars.

Incumbent MPR speaker Amien Rais and other Muslim scholars
such as Azwar Anas and Achmad Tirtosoediro were also founders of
the association.

However, since the end of Habibie's presidency, the
organization lost its popularity and only recently made a
comeback on the country's political stage.

A meeting between Habibie and incumbent President Megawati
Soekarnoputri early this year boosted ICMI's confidence to regain
influence.

In the opening ceremony of the national meeting on Friday,
Habibie said the ICMI should stay out of politics and urged the
association to play an active role in the coming elections by
providing information for the people.

Many of the country's noted leaders are scheduled to address
the meeting such as the Coordinating Minister for Political and
Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Coordinating Minister
for Social Welfare Jusuf Kalla.

Senior politicians from the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI-P) Kwik Kian Gie will and Golkar's party
presidential aspirant Gen. (ret) Wiranto will also be among
speakers at the meeting.