It is difficult not to be suspicious of the latest political maneuvers made by the heirs of the late former president Soeharto.

Their intention to run for the top post of the Golkar Party - spearheaded by Soeharto's eldest daughter, Siti Hardijanti "Tutut" Rukmana, and youngest son, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra - has added flavor to the leadership race in the country's one-time largest party.

But do their maneuvers portend anything serious? Will it signal the return of the old guard to the country's political arena?

Such an anxiety is understandable because there has been an increasing concern over the return of old repressive practices – directly linked in many people's minds to the guided and heavily controlled governance system of Soeharto's New Order government.

Perhaps it is too early and speculative to say that the Soeharto clan's planned return to active politics coincides with a number of measures, initiated by the government, to limit the freedom of expression and the movement of people, following the recent and unresolved bombings of two Jakarta luxury hotels, the JW Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton.

But many rights activists have expressed fear that such measures will bring the nation back to the repressive era of the New Order administration.

Apart from those concerns, however, it is indeed the guaranteed right of everyone – man or woman, young or old, rich or poor, noble or ex-convict – to become whatever they aspire to be, including to run for a party's top leadership. And legally speaking, there should not be any obstacles for anyone, including the children of the country's ex-dictator, wishing to run for Golkar's top post, because the existing laws and regulations do not prohibit ones from running into political offices, but those serving their jail terms.

With Tommy eventually tendering his withdrawal Wednesday from the Golkar leadership race, the Soeharto clan now rests on Tutut as its sole representative in the race. There was no official explanation for Tommy's withdrawal from the race, as it was only mentioned that he considered himself unqualified for the party's top post.

To many, Tutut has a better rapport and qualifications than Tommy. Not only did she once serve on Golkar's executive board – one of the prerequisites for one to run for Golkar chairmanship, something that Tommy cannot boast – but she also has a cleaner record than Tommy: Tommy was convicted in July 2002 for ordering the murder of judge Syafiuddin Kartasasmita in July 2001. He was released in October 2006.

The only problem for Tutut is perhaps her chameleon-like character. Even as she eyes Golkar's top post, she is still currently registered as a member of the Concern for the Nation Functional Party (PKPB), a party established by a group of loyal supporters of Soeharto in 2002. Tutut was once a deputy to the Golkar chairman during her father's presidency, but jumped ship to the PKPB following Soeharto's downfall in May 1998 and the subsequent purge of ABRI (Armed Forces) and civil servants from Golkar's ranks in the same year.

Now that a representative of the New Order era has signaled a return to active politics, it is up to Golkar's members and supporters to decide who they will vote for as their new leader in the party's Congress next month. The best advice remains caveat emptor – let the buyer beware.