Maryadi, Jakarta – The Committee to Guard against the New Order (Komite Waspada Orde Baru, KWOB) has put forward 10 conditions for presidential candidates for the period 2004-2009. One of the conditions is that a presidential candidate does not come from one of the New Order [regime of former President Suharto] political parties.

This was stated by KWOB presidium chairperson Judil Herry in a press release which was received by Detik.com in Jakarta on Friday (22/8).

According to Judil, the New Order political parties are the [former state ruling party during the Suharto era] Golkar party, the United Development Party [of Vice-president Hamzah Haz] and the Indonesian Democratic Party [of President Megawati Sukarnoputri]. “[Acceptable] presidential candidates are also those who have never held office as a parliamentary leader or a government official during the New Order period”, he said.

Judil said that the other conditions were presidential candidates who had committed human rights violations, people who oversaw the implementation of P4 [propagation and implementation of the New Order state ideology of Pancasila] and questionable bank owners. “Presidential candidates should also not be convicted political prisoners who have apologised to Suharto [ie accepted an offer of amnesty by Suharto under the condition that they acknowledge their guilt] and have never conducted joint business with the Cendana [Suharto’s residence] family, he affirmed.

Golkar presidential candidates a problem

Judil also said that the majority of presidential candidates from the Golkar party who attended the [recent] conference [to select presidential candidates for the 2004 elections] are questionable people. Judil noted that the 19 candidates had fulfilled the conditions to be rejected as presidential candidates.

Those who fulfill this criteria [to be rejected as a presidential candidate] are [former armed forces chief] Wiranto, [Golkar chairperson and parliamentary speaker] Akbar Tandjung, [Golkar leader and former minister of labour] Theo L Sambuaga, [actor] Anwar Fuady, [former Golkar legislator and media tycoon] Surya Paloh, [Golkar deputy leader] Marwah Daud Ibrahim, [former Golkar legislator and businessperson] Kemala Motik, [Yogyakarta Governor] Sultan Hamengkubowono X, [Suharto’s son-in-law and former commander of the Army Strategic Reserve Command] Prabowo Subianto, [Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare and Golkar member] Jusuf Kalla, [Suharto crony and head of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry] Abu Rizal Bakrie, [Suharto crony and artist] Setiawan Djodi, [former Free Riau Movement activist and member of the Regional Advisory Council] Tabrani Rab, [former Justice Minister and Golkar official] Muladi, [former Women’s Minister] Tuty Awaliyah and [Golkar member and former deputy head of the Supreme Audit Agency] Rivai Siata. “Three of these people are owners with questionable obligations [to the state], two were business cronies of Suharto and a convicted criminal in a corruption case”, he affirmed. (mar)

[Translated by James Balowski.]