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)