This will be Soeharto's last term: Son

JAKARTA (JP): Bambang Trihatmodjo, President Soeharto's second son, said yesterday that this year's presidential election would be his father's last.

Speaking to reporters after a plenary meeting of the Golkar faction at the People's Consultative Assembly, Bambang said he expected that nobody, including the Golkar faction, would renominate Soeharto in the 2003 presidential election.

"I think bapak (father) has no intention of fighting the 2003 presidential election," he said.

Bambang, also Golkar's treasurer, said there would be no turning back.

"The decision is final," he said. "If father later accepts his renomination, we (his children) will prevent him from being elected."

He said that it would be physically taxing if Soeharto had to serve an eighth consecutive term.

Soeharto, who turns 77 in June, was appointed president in an extraordinary session of the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly in 1968. He rose to power after successfully leading a joint military and civilian operation against an abortive coup attempt blamed on the now-outlawed Indonesian Communist Party.

Soeharto replaced the late president Sukarno to become the country's second president.

Bambang's sentiments had previously been expressed by his sister Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana.

Hardiyanti said in December that she would prefer it if her father was not reelected so he could spend more time with his family.

"I am speaking honestly here," Mbak Tutut, as she is popularly known, said while addressing thousands of university students in Semarang, Central Java.

"If you ask me... my answer is: I personally don't want him to be president again because he never has had time for his family.

"For years now, he has had only a little time for us," she said.

Hardiyanti's statement came just over a month after the ruling Golkar faction asked Soeharto if he was willing to be renominated in this month's presidential election.

The request was formally made during a reception to mark Golkar's 33rd anniversary in October.

Addressing the same reception, Soeharto urged the dominant political organization to find out whether the people really supported his renomination for the 1998/2003 presidential term.

Soeharto said he would willingly step aside if the people chose another candidate.

Commenting on the increasing calls for domestic political reform, which have been directly addressed to his father, Bambang said it would not be a problem for a democratic country, like Indonesia.

"People are free to voice their aspirations for political reform," he said, "Yet, they should be addressed constitutionally and properly."

He said his father was also committed to such reform.

When asked whether it was necessary to shorten the presidential accountability speech scheduled for today, Bambang said he would leave the decision to the President.

"I think it will be all right for bapak. Insya Allah (God willing) bapak will be able to stand the session."

He, however, expects the accountability speech to last no more than two hours.

"Even we (the younger generation) would have a problem if we had to stand for two hours without a break. You can surely imagine what it's like if an old man like him has to do the same," he said.

The speech is in essence an overview of the work the President and his cabinet have done over the past five years since Soeharto received his last mandate in 1993. (imn/amd)