PPP decides to renominate Soeharto

PPP decides to renominate Soeharto

JAKARTA (JP): Incumbent President Soeharto moved a step closer
to receiving an unanimous vote for his renomination to another
term after the United Development Party (PPP) announced its
support of him yesterday.

It was the second declaration of support after the dominant
Golkar named Soeharto the sole candidate for the presidential
election in March, earlier this week.

The Indonesian Democratic Party has yet to announce its stance
but deputy chairwoman Fatimah Achmad has welcomed Soeharto's
renomination for the 1998/2003 term. Two other factions at the
People's Consultative Assembly, the Armed Forces and the Regional
Representatives, are traditional allies of Golkar and invariably
support Golkar's stance.

PPP chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum said here yesterday PPP
chose Soeharto because he is a great leader and because the
country needs such a figure to survive future challenges.

"Nobody in the party opposes our decision," Ismail said of the
decision making process. He said the Yogyakarta office, which
previously nominated government critic Amien Rais, also approved
the stance.

The PDI may make its formal stance next month when its leaders
convene to deliberate its presidential and vice presidential
candidates.

"We were actually the first to renominate Pak Harto," said
Ismail, dismissing suggestions that the party was only parroting
Golkar.

"We decided to announce our presidential candidate today
because we were too busy with the People's Consultative Assembly
sessions," he said.

Ismail said he met Soeharto on Jan. 7 to ask that he be ready
to be nominated to another term.

"As a fighter I will not run away from my responsibilities,"
Ismail quoted Soeharto as saying.

Meanwhile, The Straits Times reported from Singapore yesterday
that Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew expects tough times ahead for
Indonesia but thinks President Soeharto will not evade his
responsibility to see the country through the economic crisis.

"It is a time of crisis. I don't think he's going to evade his
responsibility. He's got to see his country through," the daily
newspaper quoted Lee as saying at a news conference in Bangkok
for Singapore reporters.

Yesterday, PPP also named six vice presidential candidates.
The party will choose from among them in another leadership
meeting prior to the Assembly's March session.

They are incumbent Vice President Try Sutrisno, State Minister
of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie, State Minister of
National Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita, Minister of
Information R. Hartono, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Wiranto and
Ismail himself.

The party also received motions from several groups in support
of Amien, ousted chairperson of PDI Megawati Soekarnoputri and
chairman of the country's largest Moslem organization Nahdlatul
Ulama, Abdurrahman Wahid.

Ismail said it was not clear, however, whether the groups
wanted the three figures as presidential or vice presidential
candidates. "They only named the three as 'national leaders',"
Ismail said.

Golkar chairman Harmoko said the PPP's announcement proved
that the nation only wanted Soeharto.

Megawati responded coolly to Soeharto's decision to run in the
presidential election in March.

"It's normal...The problem is how far a presidential candidate
will fight it out to materialize the ideals of our independence,"
she said, reiterating her wish to join the presidential race.
(imn/amd)

Vice president -- Page 2