LAKSAMANA.Net, December 3, 2003 09:58 PM
Tutut For President?
Laksamana.Net - Always expect the unexpected in Indonesian politics. A political
party formed at the behest of disgraced former president Suharto has nominated his
super-rich eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti 'Tutut' Rukmana as its presidential
candidate for next year's elections.
Officials of the Activities of National Concern Party (Partai Karya Peduli Bangsa
PKPB) on Wednesday (3/12/03) gathered at their headquarters in Menteng, Central
Jakarta, to voice their support for Tutut.
"Long live Suharto! Tutut for president!" they shouted.
The gathering was held to celebrate the news that PKPB has qualified to contest next
April's general election.
Tutut (54), who built up a huge business empire during her father's notoriously corrupt
32-years in power, was coy when asked whether she would accept the nomination.
"We must first see whether I am capable and whether the people want me," she was
quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
Indonesia will hold its first ever direct presidential election next year over two stages in
July and September.
PKPB, which is now among a dozen parties deemed eligible to compete in the
general election, did not appear on the political arena overnight. It was founded more
than three years ago as a social organization (called KPB) by Suharto's former Army
chief, retired General Raden Hartono.
Hartono is a long time loyalist of Suharto, who was forced to resign amid massive
protests and financial chaos in May 1998.
At the time of KPB's inception on April 6, 2000, Hartono said the organization would
be committed to developing serious programs to assist Indonesia's millions of needy
people.
"We will make real actions for the sake of the people's welfare. That's the main goal of
the establishment of KPB," he said.
But Hartono, who also served briefly as information minister under Suharto, on
Wednesday admitted the former president had ordered him to establish the party.
"Tutut was present when Suharto ordered me to establish a new party," he was
quoted as saying by Reuters.
State news agency Antara quoted Hartono as saying he met with Suharto last month
to tell him PKPB had chosen Tutut as its presidential candidate.
Hartono, who often meets with Suharto, insisted the corpulent former president holds
no position in the new party. Just as well, given that Suharto has been avoiding trial
for corruption over recent years due to claims he is too mentally and physically feeble
to be brought to court.
Some pundits suspect Suharto is faking his illness, as he has appeared in seemingly
good health at several events, most recently over the Islamic holiday period of
Lebaran.
Many analysts predict PKPB will perform poorly in next year's elections, but others
say that a combination of the Suharto clan's wealth and growing nostalgia for the
former president could make it a very slim outside chance.
Hartono said PKPB was officially launched as a party in November 2002 and now
feels Tutut is the right person to take over from President Megawati Sukarnoputri.
"People are hoping for a figure like Mbak (Sister) Tutut. Her personality is very decent
and her dedication to the people is very big. [This] is greatly missed by the Indonesian
people," he was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Admittedly, five years of political, social and financial volatility have prompted many
Indonesians to yearn for a return to the stability of the Suharto era. But they are
distinctly less enthusiastic when remembering Suharto's six rich children, who
prospered under his crooked rule.
"Suharto – yes. Suharto's children – no," said one Jakarta taxi driver when asked to
comment on whether he wanted a return to the past.
Tutut, sporting a green dress and her trademark glasses, was reluctant to confirm
whether she would contest the presidency.
"My capability is not tested yet… Being president is not easy, it is very very difficult,"
she was quoted as saying by Reuters.
But Hartono insisted Tutut is ready and willing to compete in the election. "Mbak
Tutut is just like Pak [Mr] (Su)harto. When they talk about their dedication to the
people, they would give everything they have," he said.
Exactly how much they have is unclear. Time magazine in May 1999 estimated the
Suharto clan's wealth at $15 billion, $9 billion of which was transferred from Swiss
banks to an account in Austria. Tutut herself was reported to have assets totaling
$700 million.
Suharto was outraged by the report and attempted to sue the magazine, but his
lawsuit was thrown out of court. Meanwhile, the people never saw any of "Suharto's
Billions", although some of the loot may have been handed out to fund demonstrations
against former president Abdurrahman 'Gus Dur' Wahid.
The Suharto family's fortunes have declined over recent years, with Tutut last year
selling her remaining shares in a lucrative Jakarta toll road company that reportedly
rakes in about $40 million annually.
Nevertheless, the Suharto kids are still involved in many businesses, but these days
they prefer to avoid the limelight and are no longer seen wallowing shamelessly in the
corruption trough.
Successor
In the final years of Suharto's autocratic rule, many seasoned commentators said he
appeared to be grooming Tutut as his successor. She had played a leading role in his
former political vehicle Golkar and also served as social affairs minister in his final
cabinet, which ended up surviving for only two months.
The fact that Suharto appointed his big-spending research and technology minister
B.J. Habibie as his vice president in March 1998 was not widely interpreted as an
indication that he wanted the German-trained rocket scientist to succeed him. Rather,
the appointment was regarded as a shrewd move to ensure the military would not
attempt to force his resignation lest Habibie become president.
However, Habibie did end up becoming president in May 1998 and the Suharto clan
quickly faded away from center stage.
Tutut reappeared in public a few times to defend her father against accusations of
wrongdoing and even showed up at the Attorney General's Office for questioning as a
suspect in corruption cases involving state oil and gas company Pertamina. The
cases involving her were quietly dropped earlier this year, prompting some howls of
injustice and polite threats of further investigations.
Despite Tutut's political pedigree, many analysts believe she won't win many votes for
Hartono's party because six years simply isn't enough time for the Indonesian public
to forgive and forget the corruption of the Suharto kids.
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