MPR factions eyeing vacant VP position

JAKARTA (JP): Following the unanimous appointment of Megawati Soekarnoputri as the new President on Monday, the major factions in the People's Consultative Assembly will be fighting tooth and nail for the vacant vice presidency over the next two days.

Following the announcement by Assembly Speaker Amien Rais that the special session would proceed with the election of a new vice president on Tuesday and Wednesday, several names have been put forward to fill in the vacant post.

Both the Golkar Party and the United Development Party (PPP), the second and third largest factions in the Assembly respectively, have nominated their own candidates for the number two position in the government.

"The election of a vice president will involve a fierce fight among the political parties but it is expected that it will be conducted in a democratic manner," Amien said following the inauguration of newly appointed President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Monday.

Amien, who is also the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), claimed that he personally had no ambition to become vice president.

"My main task is to ensure the democratic election of a new vice president, and to encourage the political parties to arrive at a political compromise on this matter," he said.

Akbar Tandjung, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and chairman of the Golkar Party, said he was ready to be nominated for the vice presidency if his candidacy won the support of other factions in the Assembly.

"I have consideration the matter. I'm ready to be nominated for the vice presidential position and to cooperate with President Megawati in running the next government," he said referring to a Golkar Party meeting last week that supported his candidacy.

He acknowledged that he had discussed his candidacy with Taufik Kiemas, Megawati's husband, in the hope that Taufik would communicate it to Megawati.

"Such lobbying is needed to win the support of the newly appointed President," he said.

Mahadi Sinambela, deputy secretary-general of Golkar, said his party was intensively lobbying the other political parties and the military/police faction to win their support for Akbar's candidacy.

"We are seeking the support of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan). We have lobbied the Crescent Star Party (PBB), which has pledged its support for Akbar's candidacy, while PAN has yet to give its response," he said.

Meanwhile, Ali Marwan Hanan, the secretary-general of PPP, acknowledged that his party would nominate Hamzah Haz, the party's chairman, to work with Megawati in leading the nation.

"PPP will nominate Hamzah and we are lobbying other parties, including PDI Perjuangan, PAN, PBB and others," he said.

Besides Akbar and Hamzah, the names of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Wiranto, former coordinating ministers for political, social and security affairs, and Siswono Yudhohusodo, chairman of the Farmers and Fishermen Association (HKTI), as well as Yuzril Ihza Mahendra, chairman of PBB, have been suggested as other strong contenders for the vice presidency.

The candidacy of Susilo Bambang is being promoted by four vocational groups. They are the Indonesian Engineers Association (PII), the All Indonesian Tourism and Hotel Workers' Cooperative (Koperti), the Indonesian Ulema's and Islamic Boarding School Forum (Fesuti), and the Community of National Technology Alumni (Kelatnas).

"As a former top military officer, he will be capable of resolving the country's disintegration problem ... Pak Susilo is also a gentle and kind person," Fesuti's secretary-general Hamdan Rasyid told the press.

Hamdan also revealed that they would meet Assembly leaders on Tuesday to convey their support for Susilo Bambang. (rms/tso)