Vice presidential election not yet over, Sudomo says

Vice presidential election not yet over, Sudomo says

JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council Sudomo
scoffed yesterday at cynics who say that no vice presidential
election is necessary because B.J. Habibie is already assured of
winning the post.

Sudomo pointed out that the General Session of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) had just begun, and that the final
decision on who would be the next vice president rested with the
elected president.

"Habibie may lose his chance if the elected president says he
cannot work with him," Sudomo told a horde of reporters when
asked to comment on the possibility of other candidates being
considered by the Assembly.

"The Assembly will have to provide other candidates if the
president disagrees with its first candidate," he added.

He pointed out that Habibie had formally won the nomination
for the vice presidency because the five factions in the Assembly
had declared their support for him. However, he said that there
should be discussion on who has the final say on the vice
presidential election, the elected president or the Assembly.

"Otherwise, a vice presidential candidate, despite winning the
support of all Assembly factions, may be dropped just because the
elected president says that he or she cannot cooperate with the
person in question," he pointed out.

He suggested that the Assembly revise the procedure for
electing the vice president to avoid confusion in the future.

A 1973 decree of the People's Consultative Assembly provides
little guidance, only saying that the vice president has to be
able to work together with the president.

The factions in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) --
Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP), the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI), the Armed Forces (ABRI) and the Regional
Representatives -- have unanimously named Habibie their sole vice
presidential candidate.

There were people who said that the General Session was
already "over" given that all of the five factions have named the
same presidential and vice presidential candidates, the incumbent
Soeharto and Habibie respectively. No dissenting voices are
expected because the faction leaders have warned members against
voting against the official party lines.

Separately, chairman of Golkar's Research and Development
Center, Din Syamsuddin, said the Golkar faction was steadfast in
its nomination of Habibie.

All 588 Golkar legislators have signed an agreement to
nominate Habibie, he said.

"The reason is that he (Habibie) is the most appropriate
person (for the post), someone who can usher Indonesia into the
globalization era," he said.

He conceded that anybody had the right to propose their own
vice presidential candidate. However, "they have to seek the
support of an MPR faction before their candidates can join the
vice presidential race," said Din.

Din was referring to the campaign to place former cabinet
minister Emil Salim on the list of vice presidential nominees.

Meanwhile, former vice president Sudharmono suggested that the
public accept whoever the Assembly elects as the next vice
president.

"Whoever is elected, including Habibie, should be given the
opportunity to prove his or her ability as a vice president," he
told reporters after the opening of the General Session.

He said he was confident that Habibie would be elected as the
country's 1998/2003 vice president, given the strong support he
has.

"The fact that the five factions in the MPR have decided to
nominate Habibie indicates that he will be elected as vice
president," he said.

It was natural that some of Indonesia's 200 million inhabitant
opposed Habibie's nomination, he added. (imn/byg)