Let public join succession debate, says Amien Rais

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)