Senior members back Tutut to lead Golkar
Senior members back Tutut to lead Golkar
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti
Hardiyanti Rukmana fits the bill to lead Golkar, senior members
declared on Saturday.
Sudharmono and Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, respectively former
chairman and secretary-general of the organization, expressed
their support for Hardiyanti who, they agreed, has a complete
political record and qualifies for the post.
Sudharmono, however, maintained that Hardiyanti, better known
as Mbak (sister) Tutut, needs to compete with other qualified
members.
"Tutut meets all the requirements to lead Golkar," Sarwono
told reporters after attending the opening of the House of
Representatives' final sitting session for the 1992 to 1997 term.
"Yes, Tutut fits the bill," Sudharmono said separately.
The two Golkar senior members were commenting on a statement
by Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairman Abdurrahman Wahid on Thursday
that Hardiyanti "qualified" for Golkar's chief post.
Qualification
"We (people) should not underestimate Mbak Tutut's
qualification," Abdurrahman, popularly known as Gus Dur, said
Thursday in a seminar.
Abdurrahman praised Hardiyanti for successfully passing
through "political screening" in a series of Golkar-organized
events.
"She has proven that she could handle thousands of NU and
Golkar members during the election campaigning and successfully
organize a series of seminars discussing Golkar's draft of State
Guidelines," he said.
Apart from business and politics, the 48-year-old Mbak Tutut
is patron of community and sports organizations. She chairs the
Indonesian Volleyball Association and the Association of National
Privately owned Radio Stations.
Her public profile rose early this year after a series of
highly publicized meetings with supporters of NU, the country's
largest socioeducational Islamic organization, in Central Java
and East Java.
As Golkar's regional coordinator for the provinces of
Yogyakarta, Central Java and East Java, she has been assigned the
task of "cultivating" political support for Golkar in the three
provinces.
Abdurrahman had once called her a "future public figure".
Supporting Abdurrahman's opinion, Sarwono, who is also state
minister of environment, said Hardiyanti was kind and smart and
has complete political records.
However, Sudharmono, who is also a former vice president, said
Hardiyanti should compete with other Golkar candidates for the
leading position in the ruling organization.
"Golkar not only has Tutut, but also other qualified cadres to
lead it," he said.
A matter of time
Hardiyanti's road to Golkar's chairmanship seems a matter of
time only, especially after current Golkar chairman Harmoko looks
set to assume the House Speaker post later this year.
The newly appointed State Minister of Special Affairs has
received government and military support to lead the House.
Golkar's congress and chairmanship election, however, will not
occur until late next year.
Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono and Armed Forces Chief Gen.
Feisal Tanjung have suggested that the House Speaker post should
be held by a representative of Golkar, which won the May 29
general election.
Golkar has been the dominant political grouping in Indonesia
since President Soeharto came to power in 1966. It has won all
six general elections since 1971.
It managed to obtain a landslide victory in the recent
election, outnumbering two minor parties -- the United
Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party
(PDI). It secured 325 seats of the available 500 seats in the
House, while the PPP won 89 and the PDI 11.
The remaining 75 seats are allocated for the Armed Forces,
whose members do not vote. (imn)