Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Guruh Soekarnoputra, a son of Indonesia`s first president, Soekarno, marked his 59th birthday on Friday with a statement he intends to run for president in 2014.

"I am ready to lead the country. It is not only that I must nominate myself but people should also do their best to make me the national leader," Guruh said in a political speech to members of the Pancasila Spirit Movement (GSP) at his residence at Jalan Sriwijaya Raya in Jakarta.

He said he was born to serve God , the nation and the pople while the nation was now in "very deplorable conditions." Therefore, he said, "we must return to the revolution , not to reform. The Indonesian revolution stopped when the new order regime began."

He said the Indonesian nation had actually been free for not more than 14 years because it lost freedom when the new order regime assumed power in 1967.

Guruh called on the people to free themselves from "the shackles of colonialism", adding founding father Soekarno`s message was that "Indonesia must be able not only to become prosperous but also a lighthouse so that we can lead the world and eliminate colonialism."

Guruh who is a member of the House of Representatives` Commission X on the occasion expressed full support to the idea of making the Esemka car assembled by Solo students a national car.

"We must appreciate the good work of these fellow citizens, If we don`t, who else will," he said.

The youngest son of Soekarno from his marriage with Fatmawati, Guruh said he was ready to acquire an Esemka himself and asked the government to pay more attention to the domestic product, help to promote it and its marketing.

"Amid the scarcity of domestic automotive products, the Esemka is a new breakthroughn," he said.(*)

Editor: Ruslan Burhani
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