Candidates set to race for PAN chairmanship<\/p>\n
Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang<\/p>\n
Five candidates competing for the leadership of the National
\nMandate Party (PAN) have passed the selection process to join the
\nrace at the party's congress beginning on Thursday, according to
\nan official.<\/p>\n
The candidates are businessman Soetrisno Bachir, Minister of
\nTransportation Hatta Radjasa, former minister of finance Fuad
\nBawazier, economist Didik J. Rachbini, and Afni Ahmad.<\/p>\n
\"They have fulfilled the criteria,\" said organizing committee
\nhead Hakam Naja here on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that one of the criteria was that each
\ncandidate had to be supported by at least four officials of PAN's
\nprovincial branches (DPW), and 40 officials of PAN's
\nregency\/mayoralty branches (DPD).<\/p>\n
PAN has 450 DPDs and 30 DPWs.<\/p>\n
The party, which was set up in 1998 following the stepping
\ndown of the country's former authoritarian leader Soeharto, is
\nholding its second congress in Semarang, Central Java, to select
\na new leader. The party is the fifth largest faction in the House
\nof Representatives and is linked to the country's second largest
\nMuslim organization Muhammadiyah.<\/p>\n
Current PAN chairman Amien Rais, who lost last year's
\npresidential election in the first round, has decided not to join
\nthe race, to allow younger cadres to lead and prepare the party
\nto compete in the 2009 general election.<\/p>\n
Naja said that the organizing committee was still waiting for
\ntwo other candidates Muslim Abdurrahman and Samuel Kotto to
\nregister. \"As of this afternoon, the two have not registered.
\nWhat is certain is that the names of all candidates who have
\npassed our criteria will be submitted to the plenary session of
\nthe congress.\"<\/p>\n
He dismissed reports of candidates practicing money politics
\nto buy votes in order to win the leadership race. Rumor has it
\nthat one candidate had promised Rp 3 million for each vote.<\/p>\n
\"I'm certain that there is no money politics involved. If the
\nrumors can be proven, then the candidate in question will be
\ndisqualified,\" Naja said.<\/p>\n
Among the candidates, Soetrisno Bachir seems to be the
\nstrongest. Bambang Sudibyo, a former minister of finance and one
\nof the founders of the party, said that Soetrisno was the best
\nsuited to lead PAN for the next five years.<\/p>\n
In an apparent show of support for Soetrisno, Amien attended
\non Wednesday a gathering in Yogyakarta held by Soetrisno's camp
\nto drum up support for their candidate. Amien, however, declined
\nto comment on his involvement.<\/p>\n
Another prominent candidate, minister Hatta Radjasa, has been
\nfacing strong criticism from Amien and Muhammadiyah leaders, who
\nhave demanded he resign from the Cabinet before joining the PAN
\nleadership race.<\/p>\n
There are concerns that if Hatta wins, he would push PAN to
\nsupport the current administration of President Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono as happened with Golkar Party, which ended its
\nopposition role in the House after Vice President Jusuf Kalla
\ntook over the party's leadership in December last year.<\/p>",
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