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)