Gender not an issue in Indonesian military’s presidential choice

Yudoyono said the military’s criteria for the leader of the nation was only that the individual be the nation’s best citizen, with the capacity and integrity to lead Indonesians towards prosperity.

Yudoyono’s statement came at the height of controversy as the Indonesian Democracy Party-Struggle (PDIP) led by Megawati Sukarnoputri maintains its wide lead as the count drags on after the June 7 election.

Megawati, the daughter of the country’s charismatic founding President Sukarno,is the party’s sole candidate for the presidency but many Muslim leaders in this world’s largest Muslim-populated state have aired opposition to a woman President.

The Muslim United Development Party (PPP) which ranks fourth in the vote tally, has said it will work to bar Megawati’s bid for the presidency and it would support instead a male candidate for the nation’s top post.

But the PPP has yet to name its candidate. Megawati’s path towards the presidency hinges on support from other parties, as the PDIP, which has about 34.3 percent of the vote counted so far, will not have the necessary majority vote to assure her of the presidency.

The ruling Golkar party, which edged into second place on Tuesday with 18.1 per cent in the vote count, has its own presidential candidate, incumbent President B J Habibie.

The military, which does not vote in elections, has 38 of the 500 seats of the lower house, the People’s Representative Council (DPR) allotted to them.

It will have at least another 27 seats in the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) which will pick a new President in November.

The MPR’s membership consists of the 500 DPR members and 200 representatives from the 27 provinces and from non-political organisations.

Yudoyono declined to say who the military would support for the presidency. Military Chief General Wiranto has been named as one of Golkar’s four candidates for the vice presidency.