ID :
17558
Sun, 08/31/2008 - 11:45
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/17558
The shortlink copeid
AMIEN RAIS READY TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT IF ENOUGH POPULAR SUPPORT
Pekanbaru, Riau, Aug 30 (ANTARA)- National Mandate Party (PAN) founder Amien Rais said he was ready to run again in the presidential race next year if he enjoyed enough popular support.
"Well...if there is not enough popular suuport, I will return to campus to teach students. And I will also be active in Muhammadiyah," he said on the sidelines of a book discussion at Muhammadiyah university here on Saturday.
Amien Rais, former People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) chairman and currently a professor in political science at Yogyakarta's Gajah Mada University, was an unseccesful candidate in the 2004 presidential election.
Muhammadiyah of which Rais was once chairman is one of the major Muslims organizations in Indonesia which has several universities.
He said although he lost in the 2004 presidential election, he had not lost interest in the possibility of running again in 2009 because he wished to improve the country's current conditions.
The senior politician said he was disheartened by course of the reform movement in which he once played a leading role as its values were now almost forgotten.
But if the people and non-governmental organizations, Muhammadiyah in particular, supported him he would take part in the 2009 presidential poll, he said.
"I will join the race in 2009 in order to improve the nation's conditions," he added
"Well...if there is not enough popular suuport, I will return to campus to teach students. And I will also be active in Muhammadiyah," he said on the sidelines of a book discussion at Muhammadiyah university here on Saturday.
Amien Rais, former People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) chairman and currently a professor in political science at Yogyakarta's Gajah Mada University, was an unseccesful candidate in the 2004 presidential election.
Muhammadiyah of which Rais was once chairman is one of the major Muslims organizations in Indonesia which has several universities.
He said although he lost in the 2004 presidential election, he had not lost interest in the possibility of running again in 2009 because he wished to improve the country's current conditions.
The senior politician said he was disheartened by course of the reform movement in which he once played a leading role as its values were now almost forgotten.
But if the people and non-governmental organizations, Muhammadiyah in particular, supported him he would take part in the 2009 presidential poll, he said.
"I will join the race in 2009 in order to improve the nation's conditions," he added