On vice presidency

On vice presidency

In this global era, rigid partitions that formerly kept
nations' affairs of state separate and distinct have ceased to
exist and the concept of sovereignty is becoming increasingly
vague and diluted. Weakening of state power can even be seen in
what the Indonesian political elite refer to as "the existing
mechanism". Usually guaranteed to render certainty to an
equivocal political situation, the existing mechanism is now
itself lacking certitude.

This was demonstrated through the emergence of a second
potential vice presidential candidate, even as BJ Habibie
unanimously secured the official nomination from all factions of
the House of Representatives (DPR) and the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) which will begin its quinquennial General Session
next week.

When Emil Salim became linked with the coveted post at the
same time BJ Habibie was announced as the sole candidate under
the existing mechanism, many people became confused. They
wondered what the political elite were up to.

The IPKI, an independent political organization, cast further
confusion when it said in a statement that Habibie's nomination
did not guarantee that he will be the person chosen to serve
under President Soeharto during the 1998/2003 term.

The vice chairman of the DPR and MPR, former Jakarta governor
R. Soeprapto, has also stated that he thought there was still the
possibility of a second vice presidential candidate emerging.

For the common citizen, the sooner the question of the vice
presidential succession is cleared up the better. Why? Because
the hunger, caused by the rising price of basic commodities, is
becoming harder and harder to bear, especially for people in the
lower strata of society.

-- Merdeka, Jakarta