Wiranto 'fits bill for presidency'

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)