Akbar, Kalla near expected showdown<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali<\/p>\n
Although the Golkar Party congress organizing committee cleared
\nfour contenders on Saturday for the election of the party's
\nchairmanship post, the expected showdown between Akbar Tandjung
\nand Jusuf Kalla is playing to script.<\/p>\n
A prolonged debate between supporters of Akbar and Kalla on
\nrequirements imposed on candidates forced an almost 10-hour delay
\nin the voting, which was originally scheduled to start at 1:30
\np.m.<\/p>\n
One of the candidates, Slamet Effendy Yusuf, a party deputy
\nchairman who was considered an outsider in the race, announced
\nhis withdrawal during his presentation of his vision and mission,
\nsaying he was not the best figure to lead the party.<\/p>\n
The other contender, Marwah Daud Ibrahim, decided to go ahead
\nwith her bid to become the first woman to lead Golkar.<\/p>\n
Each candidate was given five minutes to present their
\nplatform before the voting began.<\/p>\n
A quarrel between supporters of Kalla, who is the Vice
\nPresident, and incumbent party chairman Akbar earlier in the day
\ncentered on amended standing orders that ban party members who
\nhave links to other parties from contesting the top post.<\/p>\n
Kalla's supporters said the requirement was proposed by
\nAkbar's camp to block Kalla's attempt to win the chairmanship.<\/p>\n
During the presidential elections, Kalla joined forces with
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was nominated by the Democratic
\nParty.<\/p>\n
The proposal was finally scrapped due to widespread
\nopposition.<\/p>\n
Another bone of contention was the change in the lineup of the
\nparty's executive board that would include the introduction of a
\ndeputy chairman, who could serve as an acting chairman. The post
\nwould also be introduced in all party structures from the
\nprovincial to village level.<\/p>\n
Both camps of Akbar and Kalla planned to extend the central
\nboard composition to include as many figures as possible to bring
\nin those who have supported their nomination.<\/p>\n
Kalla, who already joined forces with the House of
\nRepresentatives Speaker Agung Laksono, had agreed to create a
\ndeputy chairman position, which would likely be granted to Agung.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, Akbar's camp had pledged to give Wiranto
\nthe post of chairman of the advisory board. Akbar said that he
\nwould be included in decision making over strategic issues.<\/p>\n
A member of the Golkar delegation from Nangroe Aceh Darussalam
\ntold the plenary session the proposed amendment would cause a
\ndisruption to existing party structures down to the village level
\nas they would have to stage a new election.<\/p>\n
\"It would be better if we abide by the existing rules,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
A delegation from Lampung provincial branch said that it
\nsupported the amendment as it would help the party cope with the
\nsweeping changes that had occurred in the society.<\/p>\n
A delegate from the provincial branch of South Sulawesi, the
\nhome province of Kalla, said that the debate had been stage-
\nmanaged by Golkar's old guard Abdul Gafur to favor one candidate
\nover another.<\/p>\n
After a heated debate involving pushing, shoving and shouting,
\nthe plenary meeting agreed that the position of deputy chairman
\nfor the party executive board from provincial chapters to village
\nbranches was not mandatory.<\/p>\n
Also on Saturday, another Golkar member who had aspired for
\nGolkar's top post Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto, the son-in-law
\nof former president Soeharto, made a sudden move by switching to
\nKalla's camp. The move came just after Wiranto confirmed his
\nsupport for Akbar.<\/p>\n
Akbar had said earlier that he would include Prabowo in his
\nnew lineup of Golkar leadership.<\/p>\n
During their military service, Wiranto and Prabowo were locked
\nin bitter dispute over who would assume the Indonesian Military
\n(TNI) leadership.<\/p>\n
\"I don't want to join his (Akbar) camp as they would lead
\nGolkar in an undemocratic way. The camp will pair Wiranto and
\nAkbar in the race for the presidency in 2009. It is against
\ndemocratic principles as candidates have to go through a
\nconvention,\" Prabowo told reporters.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/akbar-kalla-near-expected-showdown-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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