Wiranto 'fits bill for presidency'

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar Party leaders are at odds over their presidential pick. Chairman Akbar Tandjung endorses incumbent President B.J. Habibie as the strongest candidate, while deputy chairman Marzuki Darusman believes Armed Forces (TNI) chief Gen. Wiranto will prevail in a tight race.

Marzuki, who is also the chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights, said Wiranto would emerge as the most acceptable choice if there was a deadlock in the presidential election.

Speaking to journalists after addressing a forum organized by the Indonesia-Australia Business Council in Jakarta, Marzuki described Wiranto's link to the fallen New Order as appearing more formal and distant compared to Habibie, long considered former president Soeharto's protege.

"Therefore, he (Wiranto) could become the acceptable bridge for political parties which share power," Marzuki said.

He believed there would be a close finish among at least five contenders in the June 7 polls. He identified them as Golkar, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the National Mandate Party (PAN) and United Development Party (PPP).

With relatively equal bargaining power, the parties may face a deadlock when deciding who should be president, Marzuki said.

"Wiranto could be that figure of compromise. His link to Soeharto, for instance, is more insignificant. Habibie has a deeper relationship with Soeharto," Marzuki said.

Due to relatively greater detachment from the old regime, Wiranto may even become a "pioneer" in finding a political solution to the probe into Soeharto's alleged abuse of power, he said.

However, Marzuki reiterated Golkar would not name its final candidate until after the elections. "Naming one today would break up Golkar," he said.

Apart from Habibie and Wiranto, Golkar has picked Yogyakarta monarch and governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, Akbar and Coordinating Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry Ginandjar Kartasasmita as possible candidates.

In Denpasar, Bali, Akbar reiterated Habibie was the ruling party's strongest presidential nominee. "But it is up to the leadership meeting to decide," he said as quoted by Antara on Wednesday.

Marzuki said it would be difficult for Golkar or any other parties to seek victory for their candidates because he believed the next House of Representatives and the People's Consultative Assembly would be more independent than previous legislatures.

While conceding that "many people like Habibie", he said the public would probably resist his maintaining power due to the perceived links between Golkar and the government.

Marzuki also called a coalition plan between PKB, PDI Perjuangan and PAN a "warning light" for Golkar.

"But it is almost like an apparition to me. Can you imagine Muhammadiyah mingling with Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)?"

Muhammadiyah is considered a stronghold of PAN while NU is the power base of PKB. (edt)