Armed Forces Commander Gen. Feisal Tanjung said yesterday that the meeting will focus on preparing a plan aimed at cracking down on any possible security disturbances during the meeting which will see the assembly elect the president and vice president.
"I will particularly ask for a report from the Jakarta Military Command on its physical readiness in the field, then on the stance of the ABRI faction in the People's Consultative Assembly," Feisal said after meeting with President Soeharto at his residence on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta.
The 1,OOO-strong assembly in March will elect a new president and vice president and endorse the State Policy Guidelines.
When pressed by journalists to elaborate on the possible threats to the assembly Feisal said: "We will crack down on any anti-government movements."
The Armed Forces leadership meeting will be held here from Feb. 10 to Feb. 12.
During yesterday's meeting Feisal assured Soeharto that -political stability was fully under control despite the economic crisis. He added that the Armed Forces would do its best to ensure order and security.
CandidateWith many believing that Soeharto, 76, will be reelected for his seventh consecutive term, people's attention has become more focused on the vice presidency.
The Armed Forces leadership meeting next month is also expected to discuss vice presidential candidates as six of the 13 registered candidates in the Assembly have military backgrounds.
The six include: Vice President Try Sutrisno, Minister of Defense and Security Edi Sudradjat, Minister of Information R. Hartono, State Minister of National Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Wiranto and Feisal Tanjung himself.
So far the Armed Forces faction has kept a tight lid on their nomination for the vice presidency.
The Armed Forces' decision will be influential in determining the final choice.
In February 1993, ABRI's faction chairman Lt. Gen. Harsudiyono Hartas officiallynominated its then commander Gen. Try Sutrisno without proper consultation with Soeharto.
When asked yesterday about who the Armed Forces would support this time, Feisal brushed the question aside. "That's a question for later. We'll let you know when the time is right," he said.
Separately the Golkar chairman, Harmoko, said yesterday evening that the organization would eventually issue just one candidate for the vice presidency.
"We will only issue our vice presidential candidate through Golkar faction in the general meeting of the People's Consultative Assembly next March," Harmoko told reporters after a breaking-of-the-fast gathering held at the Golkar secretariat in Slipi, West Jakarta.
He said that the candidate would likely be the same as the one issued by the Armed Forces faction.
Asked whether the candidate was a civilian or a military member, Harmoko said the most important thing was that the candidate was credible capable, acceptable to all elements in society and able to cooperate with the elected president. (prb/imn)
