No alternative to Soeharto: Sarwono

No alternative to Soeharto: Sarwono

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja
says President Soeharto must continue to lead the nation after
his sixth term expires in 1988 because there is no other
alternative.

No presidential candidate is better than Soeharto, he told
Antara news agency over the weekend.

He was speaking after a discussion held by Kosgoro, an
organization affiliated to the ruling political organization,
Golkar.

Sarwono is one of the chairmen of the organization which will
hold a congress next month.

"Soeharto is the best and has successfully faced the acid
test. That is very clear to everybody," he said.

Sarwono is the second cabinet minister to say there is no
viable alternative to Soeharto in the last week. A week ago,
Minister of Transportation Siswono Yudohusodo was quoted as
saying that there was no stronger candidate other than Soeharto
for the next presidential term.

Despite Soeharto's statement that he is too old for re-
election, many observers believe he will run for another term.

Sarwono said he is not interested in the discussion on
succession most people are busy naming possible candidates,
instead of coming up with new ideas about how to anticipate
future problems which are bound to be more complex than those
faced now.

"As a minister it is impossible for me to support other than
Soeharto," he said.

Sarwono also criticized the emergence of new mass
organizations which he said only reflects restlessness among the
public.

"Many people have lost healthy thinking in reacting to many
social problems."

By setting up new organizations these people are trying to
seek alternatives, which they believe will make them political
entities, he said.

Sarwono said that the way the activists have set up the
organizations gives the impression that they are disappointed in
several cases.

Citing an example, Sarwono said, some of the politicians
involved might have failed to get a political position within a
given organization.

The tendency should be overcome soon, he said, otherwise it
will lead the nation towards disunity. (tis)