Our next president

Besides the criteria that are outlined in our Constitution, a national leader must, according to Golkar general chairman Harmoko, be able to lead this nation and must therefore possess a vision that embraces the entire nation. He or she must be esteemed and accepted by the people and be able to show excellent achievements in development.

It is interesting to note that the criteria as formulated by Golkar do not explicitly relate to the vice president as well. In our Constitution the criteria required for both posts are the same, although the People's Consultative Assembly decreed an additional requirement -- that the VP must be able to work together with the President.

Perhaps the question which at present most occupies people's minds is who will be our next vice president. Golkar's published criteria indicate that he or she will be chosen from among those whom the President regards to be best capable of working with him.

In this context it is interesting to recall Pak Harto's interview with the Japanese newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun on Aug. 13. Pak Harto expressed the need to groom a leader for the future. Among the prerequisites he mentioned was that the candidate in question should have a significant track record both at home and abroad, that he or she must not question the appropriateness of Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution, and be capable of preserving the nation's unity.

-- Republika, Jakarta