Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Indonesia's National Assembly Speaker and presidential hopeful Amien Rais has unveiled a star-studded list of potential running mates for next year's elections.
It includes not only four Cabinet ministers but also a widely popular Muslim cleric and even a sister of the President. No fewer than four of those on the list are said to be potential presidential candidates themselves.
Dr Amien's own party, the National Mandate Party (Pan), came in only fifth in the 1999 general election, and he is counting on a popular running mate to boost his chances in the country's first direct presidential election.
The 10 were recommended for the vice-presidency at the close of Pan's national meeting in Makassar, capital of South Sulawesi, on Wednesday.
They include Muslim cleric Abdullah Gymnastiar, also known as Aa Gym, and State Minister for National Development Planning Kwik Kian Gie, the outspoken top official of President Megawati Sukarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle.
Others include Cabinet ministers Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Yusuf Kalla and Agum Gumelar, and Yogyakarta governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X. These four have also been tipped as possible presidential candidates for Golkar, the country's second-largest political party.
Mr Hasyim Muzadi, chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama, the country's largest Muslim organisation, and the President's estranged sister Rachmawati Sukarnoputri are also on Pan's list.
Dr Amien told journalists on Wednesday: "Some of the people on the list feel capable of running for the presidency themselves, but Pan's 'diplomats' are currently wooing them to join us." All 10 fulfilled the criteria set by the party, he said. They are honest, moderate and intelligent. They also have integrity and "are not burdened by their past".
Their prominence would help his presidential campaign, he said, as they would bring with them their own constituents, thereby boosting support for him. However, he added, the party would only make its pick near election-time.
The announcement has generated little excitement among those who make up the list. Mr Kalla told reporters that he would join Dr Amien's camp if Pan could win the general election, while Aa Gym reiterated that he had no interest in politics. "I've had a lot of parties approaching me but I haven't accepted it," he said. "I'm not even that good at running my boarding school, much less a country."
Mr Kwik, an ethnic Chinese politician who has been at odds with other Cabinet ministers over economic policies, was quoted by Koran Tempo daily as saying: "I'm surprised by the nomination because I'm already old."
Who Dr Amien will eventually pick remains to be seen, but analysts said that prime candidates like the four Golkar men were unlikely to make a commitment before knowing what lay ahead.
The four are preparing to earn their party's nod as presidential candidate at Golkar's convention next year. Some, like Mr Kalla and Mr Susilo, have also been approached by other presidential hopefuls, including incumbent President Megawati, to be running mates.
A political consultant close to the presidential campaign process said: "The situation is really fluid now; everyone is keeping his or her option open because it's too early to decide. Everything will depend on the results of the parliamentary election and, naturally, parties with the most popular votes will be able to dictate the presidential race that follows," he said. Those who could not win the top post themselves would join only those with the highest chances of winning, he said.