This will be Soeharto's last term: Son

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)