Soeharto reelected for 7th term
Soeharto reelected for 7th term
JAKARTA (JP): The 1,000-seat People's Consultative Assembly
reelected President Soeharto to a seventh five-year term
yesterday in smooth proceedings lasting less than 30 minutes.
Soeharto, who will turn 77 on June 8, will take his
presidential oath at the Assembly today, the close of the 11-day
congress. He will also make his inaugural address in the morning
session.
The new vice president, most likely B.J. Habibie, will be
sworn in separately and make his inaugural speech at the Assembly
tonight.
Soeharto's election was a formality as all the Assembly
factions -- Golkar, the Armed Forces (ABRI), regional
representatives, United Development Party (PPP) and Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI) -- had previously endorsed him as their
presidential choice.
All factions also nominated Habibie, a long-time Soeharto
confidante and outgoing state minister of research and
technology, for vice president.
Assembly Speaker Harmoko opened yesterday's session, attended
by 923 Assembly members, at 9 a.m., and formally closed it at
about 9:25 a.m.
One Golkar member died recently but there was no formal
explanation on the absence of the other 76 Assembly members.
The Assembly is comprised of 425 members of the House of
Representatives elected in last year's general election and 575
presidential appointees.
Of the House members, 325 belong to the government's Golkar,
11 to PDI and 89 to PPP.
Yesterday's presidential election opened with Assembly
Secretary-General Afif Ma'roef reading the results of checks on
Soeharto's credentials and his interviews with faction leaders
last Sunday.
Soeharto, who has been in power for 32 years, was the only
name on all letters of candidacy submitted by the factions.
"So Haji Muhammad Soeharto is the sole presidential
candidate," Afif announced.
Background checks by all factions found Soeharto conformed to
fundamental requirements of the presidential candidate.
He possesses an ID card signed by Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso,
letter of good conduct from National police chief Gen. Dibyo
Widodo, letter confirming noninvolvement in the banned Indonesian
Communist Party, also from Dibyo, letter of ideological screening
by the internal security agency chief from Gen. Wiranto, a letter
stating he is not serving a sentence or under investigation from
Chief Justice Sarwata and a health certificate from the chief of
presidential medical team, Bondan Haryono.
The administrative proceedings ended with Afif stating that
Soeharto agreed to be renominated.
Applause
The convention hall erupted in applause after Harmoko asked
rhetorically: "Brother Soeharto is appointed Indonesia's
president for the 1998/2003 period. Do you agree?"
"Agree..." thundered the participants as they rose to their
feet and clapped.
Harmoko, the incumbent Golkar chairman and a former minister
of information under Soeharto, said the Assembly directly
legalized Soeharto's election because he was the lone candidate.
"Because the single presidential candidate has met all the
requirements... herewith the Assembly leadership appoints
Brother Soeharto as the president for the 1998/2003 term,"
Harmoko said, before his voice was drowned out by another
ovation.
Members of the powerful military faction in the Assembly
commended Soeharto's reelection.
Armed Forces Chief Gen. Wiranto expressed optimism the
Soeharto administration would be able to solve the economic
crisis that has been deteriorating since it began last July.
"We are all obliged to support what has been decided by the
Assembly and to do what we can to help solve the hardship facing
the nation," Wiranto told the media.
Lt. Gen. Hari Sabarno, who chairs the ABRI faction in the
House of Representatives, said the President would need capable
cabinet members to deal with the crisis.
"Cabinet ministers should coordinate (among themselves) and
should not compete to appear the best," he said.
Members of the outgoing cabinet lineup have been widely
criticized for lack of coordination. Several were notorious for
making conflicting statements on the same issue. (team)