Watch my age: Soeharto

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto, responding to the latest call for him to stay at the helm for five more years, said yesterday those who nominated him should consider his age.

"I will be 77 (when the People's Consultative Assembly meets next year). Am I really capable?" Soeharto was quoted as saying by Maulana Isman, the chairman of the Indonesian National Youth Committee (KNPI).

"There must be many people out there who want to become president. You must also take that into account," Soeharto said, according to Maulana.

The President cautioned that the various appeals for him to stay at the helm could lead to people abroad concluding that his nomination was "engineered" to preserve the political status quo, and that he was to become president for life, Maulana said.

Maulana, the younger brother of State Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Hayono Isman, and other youth committee executives, visited Soeharto at his Jl. Cendana residence yesterday.

Maulana conveyed the KNPI's decision, made at its congress last year, to the President asking him to run for office again after his term ends in March 1998.

All three political groupings contesting the election and dozens of organizations have made similar appeals in the past year, although formal nominations are not due until the People's Consultative Assembly convenes next March.

On KNPI's request, Soeharto said it should convey its message to the factions in the assembly.

KNPI is an umbrella organization for more than 60 domestic youth organizations.

KNPI believed Soeharto could still lead the country, and that concerns about foreigners' opinions were unfounded, Maulana said.

Soeharto had never been unequaled, KNPI deputy chairman Mansur Sabang said when asked whether the youth organization had tried considering younger people for presidential nominations.

Age was not a determining factor when it came to state affairs, Mansur said. Statesmanship and wisdom counted more.

KNPI recommended no candidates for the vice presidency, which has become a national polemic in the past week, Maulana said. "We have several names whom we are closely watching. We will announce their names when the time comes."

During the meeting, Soeharto had asked KNPI to help reinforce the values of the state ideology Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution, KNPI Secretary-General Kaharuddin Syah said.

The recent unrest involving youths had resulted from their poor understanding of the Pancasila and constitution, he said.

"He (Soeharto) asked KNPI to instill awareness among the youths who have digressed," Kaharuddin said. (emb)