Who's who in Bogor today
Who's who in Bogor today
AUSTRALIA
Paul John KEATING, Prime Minister
Australia's Prime Minister Paul John Keating, 48, joined the
Australian Labor Party at the age of 15 and became the president
of the party's New South Wales branch from September, 1979 to
February, 1983.
Elected to the House of Representatives for the seat of New
South Wales in 1969, Keating became Minister of Northern
Australia in the Whitlam Cabinet from October to November, 1975.
He served in the Opposition Shadow Ministry from January, 1976
and held several ministerial posts, including agriculture,
minerals and energy and treasury.
Keating was elected leader of the Labor Party and Prime
Minister by Caucus on Dec. 19, 1991.
Keating led the Federal government to an historic fifth term
of government and his second as Prime Minister on March 13, 1993.
The government was returned to office with an increased majority
in the House of Representatives and a swing of about six percent.
He believes Australia is well placed in the Asia-Pacific
region to reap the benefits of trade liberalization.
Keating, who married his wife Annita in 1975 and has four
children, likes classical music, swimming and tennis.
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
Sultan Hassanal BOLKIAH, Prime Minister
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who was born on July 15, 1946, became
the Crown Prince in 1961 and was crowned on Aug.1, 1968.
The Sultan attended top educational institutions in Brunei and
Malaysia before furthering his studies in the United Kingdom
where he later qualified for admission as an officer cadet at the
Sandhurst Royal Military Academy and was commissioned a captain
in 1967.
Sultan Bolkiah, the 19th of his line, is also the Defense
Minister. But being a working monarch, he is also involved in the
conduct of state affairs internally and internationally.
Married to Seri Saleha and Seri Mariam, the Sultan has ten
children -- four princes and six princesses. Sultan Bolkiah takes
a great interest in sports, including polo.
CANADA
Joseph-Jacques Jean CHRETIEN, Prime Minister
Jean Chretien, leader of Canada's Liberal Party, won the
general election on Oct. 25, 1993 and was sworn in as the
nation's 20th prime minister in November 1993.
Chretien has had long government experience but first became
active when Prime Minister Pearson selected him as parliamentary
secretary in 1965.
Born in Shawinigan Quebec on Jan. 11, 1934, the 18th of 19th
children of a paper-mill worker, Chretien was educated at St.
Joseph's Seminary in Trois-Rivieres and graduated with a law
degree from Laval University in 1957.
Chretien, who was twice appointed to hold ministerial posts
under Prime Minister Trudeau's government, married Aline Chaine
in September 1957. They have three children.
CHILE
Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle, Chile's President
Eduardo Frei, 52, took office last March after winning one of
the country's highest majority votes obtained by a president-
elect in 60 years, thus following his father's footsteps who was
also president from 1964 to 1970.
In 1989 he was elected as Senator during which he took part in
the Finance and Budget Commissions, the Housing Commission and
later chaired the Citizens' Security Commission.
Before becoming president but throughout his political career,
the civil engineer, graduated from the Universidad de Chile, has
been traveling extensively.
In 1992, as President of the Christian-Democrat Party (PDC),
which he joined some 30 years before, he visited Belgium, Italy,
the Netherlands, the Vatican and other European states and
Argentina.
In 1993, he again made extensive visits to Europe. During
these trips he met with top-level people, including presidents
and prime ministers.
Frei is married to Marta Larraechea and has four daughters,
the youngest aged 14.
CHINA
JIANG Zemin, President
Jiang Zemin, general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party,
was named president of the People's Republic of China in 1993,
replacing Yang Shangkun.
Jiang, who is considered by many as the core of the new
generation of Chinese political leadership, was educated at
Shanghai's Communications University, earning a degree in
electrical engineering in 1947.
Born in Yangzhou, Jiangsu, in July 1926, Jiang held several
key industrial positions in Manchuria, Shanghai and Wuhan before
he was appointed mayor of Shanghai in 1985.
Jiang, who has an interest in speaking and reading foreign
languages, is married to Wang Yeping and has a son.
HONG KONG
Sir Hamish MACLEOD, Financial Secretary
As Financial Secretary of Hong Kong, Sir Hamish Macleod
oversees the economic services, trade, industry and monetary
affairs of this tiny British colony in Asia.
Sir Hamish joined the Hong Kong government in 1966 as an
administrative officer and then served in the management of
government's housing estates in the Finance and Civil Services
Branches, as district commissioner.
Born in 1940, Sir Hamish graduated from St. Andrews University
in 1966 where he majored in philosophy and politics. In 1971 he
obtained a postgraduate diploma in sociology from Bristol
University.
He is married with two children. His hobbies include tennis,
sailing, hiking, reading and fiddling with his home computer. He
was knighted by the Queen earlier this year.
INDONESIA
SOEHARTO, President
A retired army general and former commander of the elite
strategic troops (Kostrad), President Soeharto is Indonesia's
second president.
Over the 27 years of his leadership, Indonesia has enjoyed a
great deal of progress in both the country's economic and
political fields, earning him the title of "Father of
Development".
In the international arena, Soeharto, at 73, is considered by
many as one of the world's most senior leaders based on the fact
that he is currently the chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement, a
non-formal political and economic organization comprising 111
member countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, as well as
leader of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
Born to a peasant family on June 8, 1921, in a village near
the ancient Javanese city of Yogyakarta, Soeharto was educated in
his hometown before joining the Military School in Gombong,
Central Java in 1940.
He has held a number of key positions in the army and took
active part in Indonesia's revolutionary struggle for
independence, crushing the Indonesian communists who launched a
coup-attempt in September 1965.
He is married to Siti Hartinah, daughter of a regency official
who, to the Indonesians, is more affectionately known as "Ibu
Tien". They have six children, three sons and three daughters.
JAPAN
Tomiichi MURAYAMA, Prime Minister
Tomiichi Murayama, 70, who was elected the Prime Minister by
the National Diet on June 29, 1994, is the Chairman of the Social
Democratic Party of Japan (SDPJ), the second largest party in the
House of Representatives, or the lower house.
Murayama helped support the coalition government of Prime
Minister Morihiro Hosokawa, who was inaugurated in August 1993.
As head of the biggest party in the coalition he attempted to
coordinate policy differences within the ruling alliance.
Born on March 3, 1924, Murayama joined the Japan Socialist
Party, as the SDPJ was then known, in 1946 soon after he
graduated from the Meiji University's School of Political Science
and Economics.
He won his first seat at the House of Representatives in 1972
and is currently serving his seventh term.
Known as one of Japan's down-to-earth prime ministers, he
enjoys a solid reputation for unpretentiousness and sincerity.
The affection with which he is regarded by friends and associates
is captured well by his nickname Ton-chan.
His favorite motto is always remain with the people and learn
from them.
Murayama is married to his wife Yoshie and has two daughters.
SOUTH KOREA
KIM Young-Sam, President
The Koreans saw the inauguration on Feb. 25, 1993 of President
Kim Young-sam as a towering new milestone in the political
development of the Republic of Korea.
Kim, 67, President of the Democratic Liberal Party, was the
first civilian President elected in over 32 years in what was
assessed by political analysts as the fairest and freest popular
vote in Korean history, on Dec. 18, 1992.
Soon after his inauguration he delivered the message of his
Reforms amidst Stability election campaign. Mr. Kim immediately
ordered the road in front of the Presidential office complex,
long off limits to ordinary citizens, to be opened for public
access.
That measure apparently was designed to show the people his
determination to make the government more accessible to the
people.
He defined the immediate reform tasks of his administration as
being the eradication of widespread and deep-seated misconduct
and corruption, the revitalization of the sagging economy and the
establishment of national discipline.
President Kim, who began his political career in 1954 as an
elected member of the National Assembly, is an enthusiastic
mountain climber, and enjoys jogging every morning. He is married
to Son Myong-sun and has two sons and three daughters.
MALAYSIA
MAHATHIR Mohamad, Prime Minister
Physician-turned-politician Mahathir Mohamad began his
political career when he joined the United Malay National
Organization (UMNO)in 1965 and was a staunch critic of UMNO's
leadership and policy then.
Mahathir used to write articles for The Straits Times
especially about his views on the undeveloped economic life of
the Malay people.
His book, entitled The Malay Dilemma, was banned in 1970 on
grounds of provoking racial sentiments. The ban was revoked only
after he won the election and became Malaysia's fourth prime
minister in 1981.
Born on Dec. 20, 1925 in Alur Setar, Kedah, he was educated at
the Sultan Abdul Hamid College and the University of Malaya.
He is married to Siti Hasmah, a fellow doctor, in 1956 and has
three sons and two daughters.
MEXICO
Carlos SALINAS de Gortari, President
Carlos Salinas de Gortari, 46, is an economics expert who held
many economics-related posts in the government before being
elected President of Mexico on July 6, 1988. He took office on
Dec. 1 that year.
The graduate of the National Autonomous University of Mexico's
School of Economics was appointed Deputy Director of Economic
Studies in the Office of Fiscal Planning in 1976 and later became
Director General of Economic and Social Policy at the Planning
and Budget ministry in 1979.
Salinas accepted the nomination for presidential candidacy by
his party, the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party), in Oct.
1987.
He earned a master's degree in public administration and a
second master's degree in politics, economics and government from
Harvard, where he was later awarded a Ph.D. as well.
The out-going President will conclude his term on Dec. 1 this
year, when he will be replaced by Ernesto Zedillo, the winner of
last August's presidential elections.
NEW ZEALAND
Jim BOLGER, Prime Minister
Jim Bolger, who was born in 1935 in Taranaki, became the Prime
Minister of New Zealand in October 1990, following the National
Party's victory in the general elections.
Bolger entered Parliament in 1972 as Member of Parliament for
King Country, an electorate which he still represents.
When the National Party was elected to Government in 1975,
Bolger was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, to the Minister of Maori
Affairs and the Minister in charge of the Rural Banking and
Finance Corporation.
He became the Minister of Fisheries and Associate Minister of
Agriculture in 1977. During this period he was engaged in
international negotiations associated with New Zealand's proposal
to declare a 200-mile exclusive economic zone.
In November, 1984, Mr. Bolger was elected Deputy Leader of the
Party and Deputy Leader of the Opposition. He was subsequently
elected Leader of the National Party and Leader of the Opposition
on March 26, 1986.
Mr. Bolger and his wife Joan have nine children.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Sir Julius CHAN, Prime Minister
Prime Minister Julius Chan is a well-known figure among his
people and he has twice been premier of this country. His first
tenure was from 1980 to 1982.
Born in 1939 on Tanga Island, off New Ireland, Chan was the
son of a wealthy PNG and Chinese family. He was educated in
Australia and later he managed his family's shipping and copra
business.
He began his political career at a young age and entered
Parliament in 1968.
THE PHILIPPINES
Fidel V. RAMOS, President
Fidel Ramos won the May 11, 1992 general election and became
the first Protestant president in a country whose population is
85 percent Catholic.
President Ramos moved rapidly during his first 100 days in
office and retained several cabinet ministers of his predecessor,
Corazon Aquino, although his new cabinet choices were drawn
almost exclusively from the business community.
Born in 1928, Ramos graduated from the U.S. Military Academy
in 1950. Later he earned a degree in civil engineering from the
University of Illinois and saw military service in Korea and
Vietnam.
He is married and the father of five daughters. An unlit
cigar, he gave up smoking in 1987, is usually in his mouth.
SINGAPORE
GOH Chok Tong, Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Singapore Goh Chok Tong, 53, began his
political career in 1976 when he was elected Member of Parliament
for the Marine Parade Constituency.
Mr. Goh entered the civil service in 1964 soon after he
graduated from the University of Singapore with a Bachelor of
Arts with Honors in economics.
But he continued his studies at the Williams College, U.S., in
1966-1967 and gained a Master of Arts in development economics.
In 1969, he joined Neptune Orient Lines as the planning and
project manager and later as their managing director.
Before Mr. Goh was elected Prime Minister in 1990 he had been
a member of the cabinet since 1977, holding posts in trade,
industry, finance, health and defense.
Married to Tan Choo Leng with twins, a son and daughter, Mr.
Goh likes to play golf and tennis.
CHINESE TAIPEI
Vincent SIEW, Minister of State
Minister of State/Chairman of the Council for Economic
Planning and Development Vincent Siew will represent Chinese
Taipei at the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in Bogor. He began
his career at the ministry of foreign affairs as soon as he
graduated in international law and diplomacy from National
Chengchi University in 1965.
Siew, born on Jan.3, 1939, served at the consulate general in
Kuala Lumpur from 1966 to 1972, when he moved to the Board of
Foreign Trade at ministry of economic affairs.
He spent 16 years at the Board of Foreign Trade, first as
deputy director, then director, deputy director general and
finally as director general between 1982 and 1988.
Siew, married with three daughters, was appointed Vice
Chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development in
1989 and then the minister of economic affairs in 1990-1993 and
later the minister of state and Chairman of the Council.
Siew also represented his country at the first APEC informal
leaders meeting on Blake island, the United States, last
November.
THAILAND
CHUAN Leekpai, Prime Minister
Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai assumed his post in September
1992 after his Democracy Party won the general election and
included the formerly pro-military Social Action Party in his
coalition to ensure a stable majority.
Known for his honesty and commitment to democracy, Chuan is
also known to his friends as a person whose actions speak louder
than words. This was a proven in June of 1993 when the opposition
in parliament proposed a no-confidence motion against his
government and Chuan won the confidence vote when he reassuringly
outlined his government's program.
Born to a greengrocer family in Trang Province in 1938, Chuan
is a law school graduate from the prestigious University of
Thammasat. He was a lawyer before he joined politics in 1969 and
later was elected a member of parliament representing his home
province.
He held several ministerial posts in trade, justice and
education ministers before becoming prime minister.
USA
William Jefferson CLINTON, President
William Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States of
America, who earned a law degree from Yale Law School in 1973,
was elected Attorney General of Arkansas in 1976.
Mr. Clinton ran for Arkansas Governor in 1978 and won. The
people of Arkansas re-elected him four more times, making him the
second longest serving governor.
Born on Aug.19, 1946, Mr. Clinton also studied at Oxford
University as a Rhodes Scholar from 1968 to 1970. He was an
attorney in private practice in Little Rock from 1981 to 1982.
He has served as chair of the National Governors' Association,
the Educations Commission of the States, the Lower Mississippi
Delta Development Commission, the Southern Growth Policies Board,
the Democratic Governors' Association and the Democratic
Leadership Council.
Mr. Clinton, married to Hillary Rodham and with a daughter,
Chelsea, is an avid reader, enjoys jogging and golf and plays the
saxophone.