Let public join succession debate, says Amien Rais

JAKARTA (JP): Political observer Amien Rais said over the weekend that the public's input was needed in the debate on presidential succession.

Amien, chairman of the 28-million strong Muhammadiyah Moslem Organization, said the debate was not exclusive to the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

"People should play an active part in the presidential succession debates. Meanwhile, the MPR should accommodate their aspirations into its general assembly next March," he said after addressing participants at the launching of his autobiography at the privately owned National University in South Jakarta on Saturday.

He said discussions on presidential succession should be held before the 1,000-member MPR convenes to elect the president and vice president. The Assembly will also draw up Broad Guidelines of State Policies on the occasion.

"People can share their aspirations in publicly held seminars, in polls published by newspapers, or in debates and quizzes on radio and television stations," he said.

He urged people to be assertive in giving their views.

"It's not a matter of to be or not to be. It's a matter of now or never."

Amien said the only problem was finding people willing to bring the issue to the fore.

"Some of us must speak out in clear language that it is time to talk about succession," he said.

He feared that lack of discussion or unwillingness to talk about the issue could give the impression there was nobody else worthy of leading the nation and make a cult of a president.

There is little doubt that President Soeharto will be reelected for his seventh term in March.

Increasing numbers of influential figures have expressed alternative views on the future of the national leadership in recent months. But their comments have addressed a post-Soeharto presidency.

While stating that Soeharto deserves another term in office, Minister of Transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo suggested late last month that Indonesia should limit the presidential tenure to 10 years in the post-Soeharto era.

After several days of swirling controversy, Soeharto himself stepped into the debate by remarking that the limitation on presidential terms was already delineated in the 1945 Constitution.

The Constitution says the president and vice president are elected for five-year terms and can be reelected.

The heat was turned up on the debate after comments earlier this month by Juwono Sudarsono. The deputy governor of the National Resilience Institute, a military think tank, said candidates with a military background would remain best suited for state leadership for some time to come.

Juwono's statement immediately drew criticism from civilian figures and political observers, who insisted that civilians be given equal opportunity.

Leading figures in the Armed Forces preferred to sidestep the fray by suggesting the decision on electing the president be left to the MPR. (imn)