TNI may participate in presidential election: Yusril

JAKARTA (JP): Politician Yusril Ihza Mahendra suggested on Sunday that the Indonesian Military (TNI) faction should not name its own presidential candidates, but said members should vote in the presidential election.

Yusril, also chairman of the Islamic Crescent Star Party (PBB), said after addressing a gathering of some 5,000 Muslims at the Al-Azhar Grand Mosque in South Jakarta that TNI should refrain from naming its own candidates because the 38 seats allotted to it at the House of Representatives (DPR) were unelected.

Hamzah Haz, the chairman of the United Development Party (PPP), agreed. He was quoted by Antara as saying that during general elections, the military and the National Police should indeed be neutral.

"But during presidential elections, they should make their leaning clear and use their voting rights," he said. "This is why they should be sensitive to what people want. Don't just consider what's developing at the DPR, but heed what the common people have to say."

Military Commander/Minister of Defense and Security Gen. Wiranto recently said the military would not remain neutral during the presidential election, given the national interests at stake, and would be "proactive" in supporting the best candidate.

Votes counted from the June 7 polls so far place the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Golkar, the National Awakening Party (PKB), the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) as the five leading parties. Judging from provisional results, however, it seems unlikely that any party will win a majority of the vote.

There have been split views over whether the winning party will win the presidency, or whether the election will be independent of the vote counting results. So far, the strongest candidates are Megawati Soekarnoputri of PDI Perjuangan, B.J. Habibie of Golkar, Abdurrahman Wahid of PKB and Amien Rais of PAN.

Megawati has strong support in urban centers and the densely populated Java, while Habibie's strongholds are scattered in eastern Indonesian provinces. The first, however, has many strikes against her, including some Muslim clerics' declaration that Islam bars a woman head of state while other Muslim elements were enraged because 93 percent of the legislative candidates that PDI Perjuangan fielded were reported non-Muslim.

Habibie, on the other hand, is tainted by his close ties with the detested New Order regime and his perceived foot dragging over investigations into Soeharto's wealth. In addition, Golkar has been accused by many as being against the reform agenda, including the amendment of certain chapters in the 1945 Constitution.

This accusation was refuted on Saturday by Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung who told a meeting with members of the Student Opposition Front (BOM) that his party was amenable to changes.

"Provided the amendments only involve (certain parts) of the 1945 Constitution, there will be no hesitation on our part. Let us discuss the matter. Nor will we hesitate to press for the trial of Pak Harto if there is adequate evidence," Akbar said as quoted by Antara.

BOM consists of students from various colleges including the University of Indonesia (UI), Trisakti University (Usakti), Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Jakarta Teachers Training Institute (IKIP Jakarta), Diponegoro University (UNDIP), State Accounting College (STAN) and Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB).

The students conveyed to Akbar a six-point demand in what they called a reform vision. These included the abolition of the military's sociopolitical role, the trial of Soeharto and his cronies, the amendment of the 1945 Constitution, the granting of autonomy to regions and the settlement of the East Timor and Aceh problems.(swe)