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)