Prepare the nation for succession: Observers

SEMARANG (JP): Political observers are making a fresh call for more public discourse on succession in order to better prepare the nation for the time when the transfer of national leadership occurs.

Soehardjo, an expert on constitutional law at Diponegoro University, said here yesterday that the public must be conditioned to talk about such a delicate subject. "Otherwise, the issue may prove to become a time bomb," he said without elaborating.

Amien Rais, a political scientist at the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University, agreed. "The sooner we have open discussion about succession, the better," he said. "We shouldn't leave discussions on such an important matter till the last minute."

Soehardjo said that President Soeharto has recently sent signals on the need to prepare the nation for a succession.

"We should respect his stance in this matter. How do we do that? By making the best preparations for an eventual succession and by preparing candidates," he said.

"Succession (of leadership) is an ordinary thing and should be planned well," he said.

"We have only one interest in the matter, and that's to ensure that succession proceeds smoothly, satisfies everybody, and that no unnecessary upheavals take place," Amien said.

In response to someone's request that he run for election in 1998, President Soeharto said last week that the most important thing for him is to complete his term until 1998.

"What happens after is up to the People's Consultative Assembly," he has said. "But you should know that I'll be 77 then, and that is old."

Gen. (ret) Soemitro, a former chief of the defunct internal security agency, interpreted Soeharto's statement as a hint that he would not be willing to be renominated for a new term.

"His statement implied that he would like to give a younger person the opportunity to lead this country," Soemitro said. He added, however, that the President is not always predictable, and recalled the 1977 general election when Soeharto hinted that he was willing to step down.

Despite academic discussions on whether Soeharto would step down, overwhelming support for his reelection continues to pour in. Only last week, for instance, over 10,000 Christians in Bali and a Moslem organization affiliated with the ruling Golkar organization proclaimed support for Soeharto's reelection.

The discourse on succession itself rises and ebbs, but has taken on greater openness over time. Amien Rais was the first scholar to bring up the issue of leadership succession in December 1993, only months after the nation reelected Soeharto to his sixth consecutive term.

"There is no other option. Presidential succession must occur in 1998," Amien said then.

Soehardjo said that Soeharto's statement last week was not the first; the President has given the same hint several times. "Political organizations should respond to these signals," he said. (swe/har)