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)