Parties begin naming presidential candidates

Parties begin naming presidential candidates

JAKARTA (JP): Around 100,000 supporters of the National
Awakening Party (PKB) packed the Senayan sports stadium in
Jakarta Sunday to mark the opening of the party's congress.

PKB's presidential candidate, Abdurrahman Wahid, who is also
chairman of Indonesia's biggest Muslim organization, the 30-
million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama, pledged in his speech to create a
clean government and end the economic crisis if PKB won the June
7 elections.

"The economic crisis will be solved by PKB if we win the
elections and we will choose qualified officials for our
government," Abdurrahman told his supporters, waving banners and
blowing plastic trumpets, who had flocked to the Senayan soccer
stadium since early morning.

"The PKB is ready to win the elections in order to destroy
collusion, corruption and nepotism," said Abdurrahman, who is
better known as Gus Dur.

The party's chairman is Matori Abdul Djalil, but party
officials said Abdurrahman was expected to run as the PKB
presidential candidate after the elections even though he has
been sick recently.

The PKB is one of the stronger contenders in the planned June
elections, along with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
led by Megawati Soekarnoputri, and the National Mandate Party
(PAN) led by Muslim reformist Amien Rais. Both Megawati and Amien
are also presidential hopefuls.

The elections, the first since the fall of president Soeharto
last May, is expected to be the most open in Indonesia for
decades. The new upper House, the People's Consultative Assembly,
will then elect a new president around November.

President B.J. Habibie's ruling Golkar Party, which has been
tainted by its links to former president Soeharto, is not
expected to fare well in the elections.

Golkar's executive A.A. Baramuli, however, was quoted by
Antara as saying Saturday in Sampit, Central Kalimantan, that
only Habibie is the most suitable presidential candidate because
of his capability and leadership, and his "incomparable" love for
the Indonesian people.

"Habibie is the best and there's none like him, which is why
Golkar is firm in its decision to nominate him," Baramuli told
thousands of party supporters. "Golkar will have only one
candidate, namely Habibie, no alternatives."

Another Golkar executive, Aulia Rachman, however, said the
party would formally name its candidates in its congress in
Jakarta from March 8 to March 12. The event will be preceded by
the official launching of Golkar as a party at Senayan sports
stadium on March 7.

Meanwhile, the Crescent Star Party (PBB) concluded on Sunday
its congress by issuing 10 presidential nominees, all party
executives.

They are Ahmad Sumargono (deputy chairman), Abdul Qadir
Djaelani (deputy chairman), Amanullah (the chairman of the
party's Central Java chapter), Farid Prawiranegara, Fuad Amsyari,
Hartono Mardjono (deputy chairman), Kholil Ridwan, M. Ja'far
Haruna, Yusril Ihza Mahendra (the chairman of PBB), and Yusuf
Amir Faisal. (01)