Vice presidency open to active officers: Rudini

JAKARTA (JP): A senior political and military analyst says active members of the Armed Forces (ABRI), for the first time, may join next year's vice presidential race.

"There's no article in our constitution which prohibits active ABRI members from joining the vice presidential race," said former minister of home affairs Rudini.

"The 1945 Constitution does not differentiate between male or female candidates either," he added.

There has never been an active military officer which has served as vice president.

Rudini's comments come on the heels of a remark made by deputy governor of the National Resilience Institute, Juwono Sudarsono, who described those with a military background as having better qualities for assuming senior state positions.

With the 1998 presidential election likely to be another one- horse race, vice presidential speculation remains a hot issue for discussion.

The 1,000-member People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) will convene next March to elect a president and vice president and draw up the State Policy Guidelines.

Commenting on the appointment of State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie and State Minister of National Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita as coordinator of Golkar faction's board of patrons and chief of Golkar at MPR respectively, Rudini said it did not guarantee that either minister would become vice president.

"If one of them is elected as the next vice president, it is merely because they meet all requirements. But not because they hold those strategic positions," he said.

He said that in 1993 Habibie was appointed coordinator of Golkar's board of patrons, while Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Azwar Anas was chief of Golkar at MPR. "Yet, neither of them was elected vice president," he said.

Habibie was appointed coordinator of Golkar's board of patrons last week, while Ginandjar, although his legislative post had yet to be formally declared, has been assigned to lead Golkar at MPR in March.

Separately, Habibie said yesterday that there was nothing special with his appointment as coordinator for Golkar's board of patrons for the 1997/1998 period.

"The post is annually held by deputies to the chief of Golkar's board of patrons by taking turns," he said after escorting the president and CEO of French-based high-tech electronic company Matra Hachette, J.L. Lagardere, to see President Soeharto yesterday.

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

"It is the chairman of Golkar's board of patrons who has decisive authority," he said.

Asked about the possibility of having a smooth presidential and vice presidential election, Rudini suggested that the three major factions -- Golkar, ABRI and the faction of regional representatives -- which control 85 percent of MPR, cooperate to avoid forwarding different candidates.

He said: "If Golkar, ABRI and regional representatives unite, it will then only be a small problem if the United Development Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party nominate different people." (imn/prb)