ITB rector leads West Java representatives for MPR

BANDUNG (JP): Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry Ginandjar Kartasasmita has to wait until Thursday to know whether or not he qualifies for the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

A vote to elect the province's five representatives at the MPR was conducted by the provincial legislative council members here on Wednesday. Golkar's candidate, Ginandjar, was tied with the chairman of West Java's chapter of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Habib Syarif Muhammad, and his United Development Party (PPP) counterpart, Burhanuddin Somawinata, with 55 votes each.

The three candidates will contest the two remaining places for the province at the MPR, after the rector of the Bandung Institute of Technology, Lilik Hendrajaya, local businessman D. Sutrisno and former development secretary Solichin G.P. gained enough votes to qualify.

All the provincial legislative council members will elect two of the three candidates on Thursday morning.

Lilik received 70 votes, Sutrisno 68 and Solichin, who has joined the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), gained 65.

The other four candidates brought to the council's plenary session on Wednesday did not qualify. A total of 120 people were originally nominated for the MPR seats.

Each of the country's 27 provinces will have five representatives at the MPR, which will convene in November to elect a president and vice president.

With East Timor rejecting wide-ranging autonomy within Indonesia, the General Elections Commission is considering giving East Timor's quota to interest groups, which have already named 65 representatives at the MPR.

Opposition to Ginandjar's candidacy came mainly from PDI Perjuangan, which won most of the House of Representatives seats allocated for the province in the June elections.

"Pak Ginandjar must first of all resign from the Cabinet if he is to run for the MPR seat. He can do that, but it will be big trouble if his resignation is rejected by the President," Eka Santosa of PDI Perjuangan, who chairs the election, said.

The plenary session was delayed to give Golkar Party members time to contact Jakarta to seek information about the possibility of President B.J. Habibie's disapproval.

When the meeting resumed, Golkar representative Suyaman said Minister of Justice/State Secretary Muladi would write a letter suggesting that Habibie agree to release Ginandjar from his Cabinet if he was appointed. (43/emf)