Parties reject demand to name VP candidates

Parties reject demand to name VP candidates

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's three political organizations cold-
shouldered yesterday the growing calls that they name their vice
presidential candidates now rather than wait until after the
presidential election in March.

The dominant Golkar and the minority United Development Party
(PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) gave different
reasons for their stance, but agreed it would be useless to name
any candidates now only to have them rejected by the elected
president.

"We'll name our candidate through democratic and
constitutional procedures, so let's wait and see," said Golkar
chairman Harmoko. "We'll name our candidate in March."

"It's no use naming our candidate early only to witness the
elected president say no," said PPP deputy chairman Jusuf Syakir.

PDI secretary-general Buttu Hutapea said he was unsure that
the party leaders would announce their vice presidential nominees
when they meet in mid-February.

"It will depend on how the meeting develops. If the majority
vote in favor of the announcement, we will name our candidate. Or
else, we will defer the job of announcing the name to our
chairman," Buttu said.

He said the party had so far accepted seven names put forward
by the PDI. They are incumbent Try Sutrisno, Minister of
Information R. Hartono, Harmoko, State Minister of National
Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita, State Minister of
Research and Technology B.J. Habibie, Army Chief of Staff Gen.
Wiranto and businesswoman Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, who is
Soeharto's eldest daughter.

Kosgoro, a cooperatives wing of Golkar, nominated Wednesday
incumbent Try Sutrisno, Harmoko, R. Hartono and Ginandjar
Kartasasmita for the vice presidency.

Soeharto confirmed Tuesday his readiness to be nominated for
his seventh consecutive term. Though some people have stated
their willingness to be nominated, it has been a foregone
conclusion that Soeharto would run unchallenged.

The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) is responsible for
electing a president and vice president. However, in the past
elections under the New Order administration, it was Soeharto,
with the assistance of an extraparliamentary group, who chose the
vice president.

The economic crisis which has affected Indonesia since mid
1997 has led many people to believe that it was sparked, among
others, by uncertainty on how the country would fare post-
Soeharto.

Many analysts have said it is imperative that the five MPR
factions -- Golkar, PPP, PDI, the Armed Forces and the regional
representatives -- name their vice presidential candidates to
alleviate political uncertainty which has led to market crashes.

Succession

Chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council, Sudomo, said
political organizations should have named their vice presidential
candidates since election campaigning in April last year.

"It (naming the candidates) would have helped avoid
uncertainty about the state leadership succession," he said.

"After all, it would be better if the voters know who would be
their president and vice president, before they voted for any
political organizations in the general elections," he said.

He said: "The vice president must have a vision for the future
and last but not least, the capability to make a decision."

Meanwhile, Hartono said Golkar's criteria that the next vice
president should be able to master technology did not narrow the
field to only certain figures.

"God willing, there are people who meet the criteria... maybe
even more than one," he was quoted by Antara as saying during a
breaking of the fast gathering at his residence yesterday.

He said the criteria could refer to a person who masters
technology, but could also mean someone who could manage people
who master technology.

"What the person needs is a vision of technology, not
necessarily mastery in technology," said Hartono, adding that an
important vice presidential criteria was the ability to unify
this diverse country.

Golkar's statement that a vice president should master
technology led many people to believe that it was Habibie.

Separately, political observers Arbi Sanit of the University
of Indonesia and Nurdien H.K. of the Semarang-based Diponegoro
University, and labor leader Wilhelmus Bokha supported an early
announcement of vice presidential candidates.

Arbi, a lecturer at the School of Social and Political
Sciences, agreed with State Minister of Environment Sarwono
Kusumaatmadja who said Wednesday the Assembly should do it "now".

Arbi said proposing criteria for a vice president would not
help solve the crisis of confidence in the government, which had
caused the economy to dip to its lowest level.

Nurdien said that because Golkar failed to name its vice
presidential candidates, "there was an impression that Golkar was
undecided and confused... this only caused the market to
speculate."

Bokha of the Federation of All-Indonesian Workers Union
(FSPSI) said people need "both political and psychological
certainty" on who will be the country's next leader.
(har/aan/amd/imn/swe)