Soeharto finally says 'yes'

Soeharto finally says 'yes'

JAKARTA (JP): "Yes".

With that one word, President Soeharto ended months of
speculation yesterday about whether or not he would run in the
March election for a record seventh term in office.

One of the two most frequently asked questions in Indonesia
this past year was answered when leaders of a coalition of
Golkar, the Armed Forces and the bureaucracy met with the
incumbent President to formally propose his nomination.

The other question -- who is going to be his chosen running
mate and therefore a potential successor -- remains unanswered.

But the coalition announced a new set of criteria that
effectively narrowed the field to a few names, with State
Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie leading the
pack.

One of the criteria that had been added stated that the
candidate must master science and technology, a qualification
that many analysts said could have been forwarded to make Habibie
fit the bill.

Soeharto's acceptance was announced by Golkar chairman
Harmoko, who visited the Bina Graha presidential office with
Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung and Minister of Home
Affairs Moch. Yogie S.

"Haji Muhammad Soeharto accepted the nomination to become
president for the 1998/2003 period," Harmoko said afterwards.

"He is a patriot and a fighter.

"With the people's trust placed upon him, he will not shirk
his responsibility or reject that trust, for the sake of the
country and the nation," Harmoko said.

Although widely predicted, doubts about his reelection
intentions had arisen after he asked Golkar in October to recheck
the nation's wishes before formally forwarding his nomination.

Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, who is a
deputy chairperson in Golkar, in December also said that
personally she wished her father would not run again because the
family felt deprived of his time over the past 30 years.

Soeharto, 76, and a widower since 1996, has been elected six
times as president since 1966, each time running unopposed.

The coalition between Golkar, the Armed Forces and the
bureaucracy is termed the "Big Golkar Family". Golkar, the Armed
Forces and the Regional Representatives together control 850 of
the 1,000 seats in the People's Consultative Assembly.

The Assembly is due to meet in March to elect the president
and vice president. The United Development Party, which has 134
seats, and the Indonesian Democratic Party, with 16 seats, have
not announced their candidates.

Harmoko said Golkar had conducted a survey to test Soeharto's
popularity in line with the latter's instruction. "It concluded
that the majority of the people still wanted Muhammad Soeharto to
be president."

The issue of vice president however remains far from settled,
with Golkar and Soeharto refraining from naming any names.

Harmoko, however, announced that on top of the 15 criteria for
vice president, Golkar had added 14 more for its candidate:

* Able to preserve the national unity and cohesion.

* Visionary.

* Proven loyalty to the nation.

* Mastery of science and technology.

* Mastery of industry.

* Able to assist the president in solving national problems.

* Good supervising capability.

* Consistent and supportive of the New Order.

* Understands the nation's struggle.

* Able to assist the president in the international forum.

* Comprehensive understanding of the people's condition.

* Good moral character.

* Has good access to and is well known in international forum.

* Strong leadership quality and wisdom.

"Soeharto accepted these criteria," Harmoko said.

The Assembly has already set 15 criteria that include a
minimum age of 40, religious, loyal to the state ideology of
Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution, and perhaps most important,
able to work with the elected president.

By convention, the Assembly will consult the elected president
first before making its nominations, a practice that in the past
virtually gave Soeharto the right to chose his vice president.

"The Armed Forces has no problem if the next vice president is
a civilian," Gen. Feisal said when asked about his stance on
civilian candidates.

The Assembly has so far received 13 vice presidential
suggestions from the people, including the incumbent Try
Sutrisno, Habibie, Harmoko, Minister of Defense and Security Edi
Sudradjat, Minister of Information R. Hartono and Minister of
National Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita.

Given Soeharto's age and health, analysts have considered that
the chosen vice president would become the front-runner for the
presidential post should and when the position becomes vacant in
five years time or less.

Habibie said yesterday he did not feel that the additional
Golkar criteria made him the number one favorite for the number
two slot.

Soeharto this month appointed Habibie executive coordinator of
Golkar's board of patrons, a position that analysts say allows
him to wield power, and influence over the incumbent president.

"The criteria were not made to fit my qualifications," Habibie
was quoted by Antara as telling reporters at his office.
(prb/emb)

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