Untimely talks on VP candidacy is unethical, Habibie says

JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie skirted the question of his possible candidacy as vice president, saying yesterday it was unethical to talk about the top two state posts before the general meeting of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in March.

"It's not culturally Indonesian to disclose presidential and vice presidential candidates before the general session of the Assembly," Habibie, chairman of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology said yesterday.

Habibie, also chairman of the Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI), has often been cited as a possible contender for the vice presidency.

Habibie dismissed remarks by ICMI deputy chairman Achmad Tirtosudiro yesterday who said Habibie had a good opportunity of becoming the next vice president.

Achmad said last week that this was the second time Habibie has had an opportunity to become vice president. According to Achmad the first occasion came in 1993, but Habibie rejected the offer because he felt he was not ready for the post.

"I've never told Pak Achmad anything like that," Habibie said.

The 1,000-member MPR will convene next March to elect a president and vice president and draw up the State Policy Guidelines.

Some political observers believe Habibie's strong bargaining position increased after he was appointed coordinator of Golkar's board of patrons earlier this month for the 1997/1998 period.

Habibie, however, denied the benefit saying that there was nothing special with his appointment.

"The post is annually held in turn by deputies to the chief of Golkar's board of patrons," he said.

He also dismissed speculation that a coordinator of Golkar's board of patrons had superior control over Golkar's board of executives.

Yusuf

Separately, a member of the National Commission on Human Rights, Muladi, commented yesterday in Semarang, Central Java, on reports that former minister of defense Gen. (ret) M. Yusuf had also been touted as a candidate by the South Sulawesi chapter of Eksponen '66.

Eksponen '66 is a group of student leaders and activists who in 1966 helped topple the Old Order and establish the New Order government under President Soeharto.

The group suggested that Yusuf accompany incumbent President Soeharto as a state leadership duet.

"A Soeharto-Yusuf duet would be very solid," they said last Friday.

Yusuf is the sole surviving witness of a trio, who carried the letter in 1965 from then president Sukarno to then Armed Forces commander Lt. Gen. Soeharto to take necessary action to ensure the security and safety of the state which had come under threat from a failed communist coup.

The other two, Gen. Basuki Rachmat and Gen. Amirmachmud, died a few years ago.

Chairman of the organization's South Sulawesi chapter, Saleh Bustami, said the organization had sent a proposal to MPR and the South Sulawesi legislative council.

Muladi, rector of Diponegoro University in Semarang, said the decision would mainly rest on Yusuf himself, whether he would be willing to be nominated due to his age.

Yusuf is 69 years old.

Muladi said there were plenty of eligible candidates for the vice presidency.

He named Habibie, incumbent Vice President Try Sutrisno, Minister of Information R. Hartono, Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, State Minister of Special Assignments Harmoko and State Minister of National Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita.

But another Diponegoro University political scientist, Kahar Badjuri, said Habibie and Hartono were the strongest contenders for the country's second top position.

"Both Habibie and Hartono are qualified and are now very close to the power center (Soeharto)," he said. (imn/har)