Soeharto backs KONI's restructuring plan

Soeharto backs KONI's restructuring plan

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto gave his full support
yesterday to a restructuring plan initiated by the newly-elected
chairman of the National Sports Council (KONI) Wismoyo
Arismunandar.

The former Army chief of staff paid a courtesy call on the
President yesterday at the Bina Graha presidential office to
report that he had completed the line-up of KONI's leadership
board. After meeting with Soeharto, however, Wismoyo said that
the President insisted that the plan, which may involve military
commanders, not provoke any civil-military conflicts.

The KONI chairman's idea to divide the national sports council
into six regional offices was aired in a meeting with sports
journalists early this month. Wismoyo said he wanted a military
commander to head each office, which would conform with the
Indonesian army which has 10 regional offices.

"Let the people make their own choices. Electing a military
commander as the head of a KONI regional chapter is not a must,"
Wismoyo quoted Soeharto as saying.

The restructuring plan will split Indonesia into six regional
sports authorities with jurisdictions over Java, Sumatra,
Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara and Maluku/Irian Jaya.
Wismoyo said all KONI provincial chapters will elect their
respective regional leaders in the upcoming days.

Wismoyo reiterated that the plan was urgent since KONI was no
longer able to cope with sports development in 27 provinces. The
new organizational pattern is expected to improve sports in each
province.

Wismoyo said the President also paid full attention to
financial shortcomings KONI is facing. President agreed that
healthy businesses should be solicited to provide sports funding.

President Soeharto has agreed, upon returning from his
European visit next month, to swear in KONI's leadership board
for the first time in Indonesian history.

"The President will install KONI's new top officials not
because of Wismoyo, but because KONI is carrying out the broad
outline of state policy," said Imam Suyudi, an assistant to
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Only a handful of old hands remain in the National Sports
Council's leadership board, as Wismoyo yesterday announced the
board's new line-up, consisting of 42 people including himself.

The "greening" of the board reflects an attempt to integrate
people from powerful agencies in order to facilitate the National
Sports Council's (KONI's) operations.

In addition to the line-up, the retired four-star general
referred to the so-called "special staff", which should help
provide funds for financing KONI activities. The staff, according
to newly-appointed treasurer Setya Tanto, now already has 75
businessmen as members. Tanto added many other businessmen had
shown interest in joining.

Wismoyo said that each sports organization would have a
businessmen as its patron but declined to reveal the names of the
businessmen and how much money they would provide, saying that
this matter was still under discussion.

The line-up features representatives from the Ministry of
Youth Affairs and Sports, with which KONI, under former chairman
Surono, had a discordant relationship; as well as representatives
from the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Home Affairs
and even representatives from the presidential guards
organization.

Wismoyo, punctuating his speech with jokes, also picked up
deputy chairman of the National Planning Development Board
(Bappenas), Rahardi Ramlan, as his second deputy chairman.

Wismoyo's reason was that "solid planning is also needed to
further national sports. Hence, it is important to involve
Bappenas."

Former Jakarta Military Commander A. M. Hendropriyono, timber
tycoon Mohamad "Bob" Hasan, former Jakarta Police Chief Maj. Gen.
(ret.) Hindarto and Rudolf Warouw are among Wismoyo's top-ranking
assistants. (arf)