President's daughter tipped for volleyball chair
President's daughter tipped for volleyball chair
JAKARTA (JP): Prominent businesswoman and daughter of
President Soeharto Siti Hardijanti Rukmana is expected to take
over the top job at the Indonesian Volleyball Association (PBVSI)
later this week.
She would succeed the incumbent chairman Gen. (ret.) Kunarto
who yesterday nominated her canditure and stated his failure to
develop a Rp 1.1 billion (US$480,000) trust fund as an additional
reason for his resignation.
Kunarto said: "Mbak Tutut [Mrs Rukmana] is now in London. But
I believe she will be here at the end of our congress tomorrow."
He was speaking to reporters at the opening day of the
association's congress at Sentul, West Java.
There is no confirmation as to whether Mrs Rukmana will accept
his nomination or not. But Kunarto, believing she will, has urged
all participants of the congress to give her their support.
He received a positive response from delegates. Until
yesterday afternoon only the association's chapters from
Yogyakarta, Aceh, South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi and East
Java provinces have expressed their supports for Mbak Tutut.
Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman who opened
the congress yesterday also gave his support.
"She is the right figure to head the association. She has got
the experience, and has succeeded in chairing many youth
organizations," Hayono said.
However, given her numerous activities, Hayono added that
whether or not she would find time to effectively chair the
association would be up to her.
Kunarto has reiterated his decision to resign on several
occasions. In his accountability speech yesterday, Kunarto
admitted that he has failed as chairman and hence, is not willing
to be reelected.
Among his shortcomings, he said, was the unfulfilled program
to earmark a trust fund worth Rp 1.1 billion (US$480,000). He
said most of the money he received for the fund had to be spent
on training purposes, particularly on the setting up of a
5,000sqm volleyball training camp in Sentul, in January last
year.
The centralized training camp the association organized to
prepare its athletes for the 18th Southeast Asian Games in Chiang
Mai, Thailand, last year, was another money-consuming activity,
he added. (arf)