SMU graduates may run for president

SMU graduates may run for president

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

To become president of the world's fourth largest country, it
will be sufficient to have graduated from senior high school.

This criteria is much more lenient than that which would be
applied in many small firms in Indonesia, which require many of
their employees to hold diplomas.

Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said on Tuesday that the
new bill on direct presidential and vice presidential elections
stipulated that candidates for the country's top two posts must
at least be graduates of senior high school.

The bill also requires that presidential candidates be 40
years old or over, Antara reported on Tuesday.

The bill is apparently aimed at accommodating President
Megawati Soekarnoputri in her attempt to win a second
presidential term in 2004.

Megawati studied in a number of different universities but
never completed her courses. As a result, she does not hold a
university diploma.

Hari said the government had yet to decide whether the
presidential and legislative elections would be held
simultaneously or separately.

The presidential election bill was discussed during a meeting
of ministers overseeing political and security affairs held on
Tuesday.

The meeting also touched on the bill dealing with the
composition of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the
House of Representatives, as well as provincial and regency
legislative assemblies.

The meeting, chaired by Coordinating Minister for Political
and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, was attended by
Minister of Defense Matori Abdul Djalil, Minister of Justice and
Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Hassan Wirajuda, Indonesian Military chief Gen. Endriartono
Sutarto, and National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar.

Hari expressed the hope that the two bills would be submitted
to the House later this year.