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)