Tutut may get 'more important' position than VP, says scholar

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar leader Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana might have refused some people's motion to nominate her for the vice presidency, but it is likely she will gain a politically more important position, a scholar says.

Senior researcher Muhammad A.S. Hikam of the National Institute of Sciences said here Saturday that in local politics, the vice presidency has so far been an insignificant political position.

Hardiyanti could instead be included in an alternative scenario, where she would have a more decisive role such as the chairmanship of the dominant Golkar, Hikam said.

The post would enable Hardiyanti, the eldest daughter of President Soeharto, to have a greater bargaining position before certain political institutions such as the People's Consultative Assembly and the House of Representatives.

"Given that position, she would then in political reality be able to control the political machine named Golkar," he said.

Hikam was speaking in a discussion on women and state leadership which also examined Hardiyanti's and ousted Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) leader Megawati Soekarnoputri's chances at the vice presidency.

Hardiyanti, better known as Mbak Tutut, recently declared she did not have the capacity to become a vice president.

Hikam said that Hardiyanti has great political access, one which gives her as great a chance as the other "top five" candidates which includes incumbent Try Sutrisno, State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie, Minister of Information R. Hartono, State Minister of Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita, and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Wiranto.

"There's only one political liability of hers, though, the fact that she is the daughter of the President," he said. "What would people say (if she became vice president)?"

Hardiyanti also said over the weekend that it would be "funny" if her father was reelected President for another term, while she became the vice president.

Hikam named Megawati as the other female figure who had a chance of being nominated for the presidency. Although the chance was slight, he said it could become reality if there was preceding political reform which originated from the pressures of the economic crisis.

"If the crisis worsens and becomes even more intense, than it is possible that the interests of some of the elite could consolidate, and they'd consider her an alternative," Hikam said.

"Megawati's chance (at present) to become a vice presidential candidate, much less a presidential candidate, is very slim unless there was a systematic crisis which caused the disintegration of the political elite, and at the same time there was pressure from the lower levels," he said.

The discussion also featured Abdurrahman Wahid, the chairman of Indonesia's largest Moslem organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

He said that Islam does not prohibit women from becoming state leaders.

"If (either Hardiyanti or Megawati should be the next vice president), it's not against Islamic teaching," he said. (09)