I'm not ready for VP position: Hardiyanti

JAKARTA (JP): Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana threw in the towel in the race for the vice presidency yesterday, saying she was not capable of carrying out the second top position.

The eldest daughter of President Soeharto said on the sidelines of the People's Consultative Assembly meeting that the nation needs a person of high quality for its vice president.

"I feel I'm not ready for the position, (because) it requires a broad mind and boldness. I don't fit that position at all, particularly because I lack knowledge to cope with complicated state matters," said Hardiyanti, who is more popularly known as Mbak Tutut.

Hardiyanti has so far been the only female candidate for the vice presidential seat, as far as nominations for the national leadership posts brought to the attention of the Assembly's working committee are concerned.

The committee's list of candidates includes incumbent Try Sutrisno, House Speaker Harmoko, Minister of Information R. Hartono, Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie, Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Wiranto, government critic and chairman of Muhammadiyah Moslem organization Amien Rais and chairman of the United Development Party Ismail Hasan Metareum.

Chairman of the country's largest Moslem organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Abdurrahman Wahid, was among the last to support Hardiyanti's nomination during the NU's congress last month.

The Assembly will convene in March next year to elect a president and vice president. The election of a vice president requires approval from the elected president.

Hardiyanti said that Assembly members must seek her acceptance first if they nominate her.

"The nomination is not decided by the Assembly and the elected president alone, but the candidate him- or herself," she said.

"I thank those who have supported me, but do not nominate me only because I often visit people in villages or appear in newspapers."

Hardiyanti, whose headscarf is her trademark, holds a lot of top positions in business, political and social organizations. She leads one of the country's largest holding companies PT Citra Lamtorogung, chairs the Indonesian Red Cross and several charity foundations and holds the deputy chairmanship post in the dominant political group Golkar.

Since the death of her mother, First Lady Tien Soeharto, Hardiyanti has accompanied Soeharto in state duties more often.

Hardiyanti said yesterday she never talked with her father about her nomination for the vice presidency.

"We don't have time for such a talk. Besides, this is not the appropriate time to discuss that. There's still three months to go," she said. (amd)