Dictator's Son Sets Sights on Indonesian Politics

The youngest son of Indonesia’s late dictator Suharto announced plans Tuesday to take control of his father’s old political party, despite outstanding lawsuits accusing him of corruption. Tommy Suharto, who spent five years in jail for ordering the assassination of a Supreme Court judge, has formally entered the race to become head of the struggling Golkar, which suffered heavy losses in recent elections, said Iskandar Mandji, the party’s deputy chairman.

“It’s time for me to return to politics, apart from running business,” the Antara state news agency quoted Tommy as saying. “I have a moral obligation to help the party that was founded and built by my father.”

Tommy helped run some of his family’s businesses during his father’s 32 years in power, which ended in 1998, but he has no formal political experience. Golkar — a party in the midst of serious internal conflict — will lose its place in the government for the first time in more than 40
years when a new administration takes over in October under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Tommy faces stiff competition, with an outgoing government minister who is one of the country’s richest men, Aburizal Bakrie, also seeking Golkar’s top job. Even if he were to succeed, it’s unclear if a convict could run for office, Mandji said.

In addition to serving time for the assassination order, Tommy is also accused of corruption and the Supreme Court is reviewing a case seeking the repayment of hundreds of millions of dollars he allegedly embezzled from the government.

His father came to power in 1965 amid a coup that left hundreds of thousands of opponents dead or missing. During more than three decades in power his family is said to have amassed up to $35 billion.(from: JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com)