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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