ITB rector leads West Java representatives for MPR

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)