Presidential candidate

Presidential candidate

Before you do or say anything you should determine the right
methods, the right time and the right tools.

If you are too eager and do things prematurely, because of
high spirits, it may not work out. I am referring to the news
about the efforts of certain groups to nominate candidates for
the next President.

The Minister of Domestic Affairs has stated that the procedure
for nomination and the time is fixed and everything in this
connection should be done accordingly. In this context we can
consider the nomination of Soeharto as the next President by the
Veterans Legion (LVRI) as premature. Have LVRI, as an affiliated
organization of Golkarm, consulted the mother organization? Have
LVRI discussed this step with LVRI branches all over Indonesia?

In my opinion LVRI could wait and adhere to the existing
procedures. Especially when Golkar as the mother organization and
coordinator should determine the right timing and procedure, and
have not given any opinion yet. The armed forces pensioners
(PEPABRI), another Golkar member, is still silent on this
subject, because PEPABRI considers a statement at this moment as
premature.

I admired the wise answer of the President, upon receiving the
LVRI delegation. He said that the "who" is not so important, but
that the institutions for running this country should be
improved. This was repeated by Coordinating Minister for
Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman, who also
explained that the General assembly of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) is still far away from any statement on
nomination.

Considering the political climate at this moment, I personally
am sure of who is going to be nominated and who is going to be
elected as the next President, but again everything should be
done at the proper time, and there is no need to rush.

SOEGIH ARTO

Jakarta