Former Defense Forces Commander Expresses Readiness for President

Surabaya (Antara) - Indonesia's former defense forces (TNI) commander, retired general Djoko Santoso, wishes to run for president next year. He said he was ready to run for it here on Saturday "after receiving inputs from a number of parties and also I feel there is a call for it as a soldier." To support his wish he has set up an "Gerakan Indonesia Asa" (Hopeful Indonesia Movement) with a vision of people's welfare and state's security. He said although he has retired he still wished to help the nation to become better and to improve the people's welfare. Indonesia plans to hold legislative elections in April next year which will later be followed a presidential election. Several figures have so far also expressed readiness to run for the post including Aburizal Bakrie, the present general chairman of Golkar Party and retired general Wiranto, the general chairman of Hanura Party. Retired general Pramono Edhie Wibowo has recently joined the ruling Democrat Party. The former army chief of staff said he would not as yet say whether he would join the party's convention to select a presidential candidate saying that it was not nice for him to talk about it now while he had only joined the party just a few days ago. (*)