One of the daughters of deceased dictator Suharto, Siti Hediati Hariyadi, says she is running for the leadership of the Association of Indonesian Farmers to help her realize her father's ideals in making the country's farmer self-reliant.

The organization is currently led by Prabowo Subianto, chairman of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and the former husband of Siti, better known as Titiek Suharto.

"I will run for the post of general chairperson of HKTI for 2010 to 2015," Siti said on Saturday. "I ask for your support to continue to realize Pak Harto's efforts to make farmers self-reliant."

Titiek who was born in Semarang, Central Java, on April 14, 1959, claimed she was concerned about the welfare of farmers and would use her position as head of the association, also known as HKTI, to remedy the situation.

"They are in fact the nation's backbone with regard to meeting food supply in Indonesia," she said.

Titiek said she came from a farmer's family. Her great grandfather, grandfather and father were all farmers. She said her father – who ruled as president for 32 years – had always fought to improve the welfare of the Indonesian people who were mostly farmers.

Titiek, the only woman to run for the position, pledged that she would not use HKTI as a political vehicle for the Golkar Party, of which she is still a senior member.

"Although I am one of the Golkar Party's associate chairpersons, I will not make HKTI yellow," she said referring to Golkar's colors. "Making a political choice is a member's individual affair," she said.

Subijakto Tjakrawerdaja, a member of the HKTI's advisory council, said he hoped the presence of Pak Harto's daughter in the organization would bring changes. "Certainly what we are hoping for is progress for the better," he said.

The HKTI plans to hold a national conference from Monday to Thursday to elect the new general chairperson. In the running for the post are Prabowo, Djafar Hafzah and Osman Sapta. Titik Soeharto is Prabowo's ex-wife.