JP/1/ELECTION
JP/1/ELECTION
In Yogyakarta, presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
met with Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X for talks on how to
improve security, law enforcement and people's welfare.
"As a presidential candidate, I need to communicate and
consult figures with broad mind like him (Hamengkubuwono),"
Susilo said after the meeting at the governor's office.
All other presidential candidates have met the sultan for
consultation.
Susilo dismissed speculation that he had offered a position to
the sultan, who quit the Golkar convention, which was eventually
won by former military commander Gen. (ret) Wiranto.
"Don't reduce political communications to efforts to seek
political interests. The time to discuss the design of
administration will come only when the election results are
announced. At the moment it is more important to make people
understand what we are doing so they do not give the mandate to
the wrong candidates," Susilo said.
Hamengkubuwono said not all of the presidential candidates who
visited him talked about power sharing.
"I treat everybody equally. I just hope people elect the right
person. Whoever the winner, he or she has to satisfy the wishes
of people," he said.
Separately, Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen.
Endriartono Sutarto reconfirmed the neutrality of the military in
the direct presidential election, which involves former high-
ranking military officers.
Endriartono said the TNI would not support nor prevent retired
military officers from entering the race. The military's
involvement in the elections was restricted to "ensuring the
elections run smoothly".
"We (the TNI) are committed to maintaining neutrality during
the elections and will not support nor pose a stumbling block to
particular parties or presidential candidates," he told a media
conference at TNI Headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta.
"There are retired military officers contesting the election,
I know that, but they do no have any obligation to ask
endorsement from us (the TNI) because they have a right to
participate in the political event."
Endriartono said the TNI had issued guidelines for military
troops assigned to secure the election.