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team responsible for selecting national heroes has hinted that former president Soeharto may be put forward this year.

Ryamizard Ryacudu, chairman of the Title, Order of Merit and Honors Council and defense minister, said the team would consider a proposal to grant the former strongman the hero title should the council receive a recommendation for such from the Social Affairs Ministry.

Soeharto has been nominated to receive the prestigious title three times since 2010 but to no avail due to growing opposition from activists citing records of his role in a number of human rights abuses during his 32-year rule as the country’s longest-serving president.

However, the Golkar Party, his regime’s main supporter during his tenure, renewed calls to the government to award the former president the title in a recommendation published during its national congress in Bali recently.

“Anything [hero title related] will be discussed first [by the team],” Ryamizard said in response to a question about the possibility of naming Soeharto a national hero this year.

Naming a figure a national hero is the prerogative of the president but any sitting president must receive input from the council in the first place before making a final decision on any national hero proposal, said the team’s deputy chairman Jimly Asshiddiqie.

“Members of the public can register their proposals with the Social Affairs Ministry, the state institution that screens nominations before sending names of candidates on to the Title, Order of Merit and Honors Council,” Jimly added.

Jimly, a former Constitutional Court chief justice, said that the team had yet to receive any names from the ministry as of today.

Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa said she had proposed two former presidents, Soeharto and Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid to the honors council in a letter, but later received a request that she send the names in separate recommendations.