Dramatic turn favors Akbar's bid<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali<\/p>\n
The Golkar congress agreed suddenly on Thursday to change the
\nparty's standing order and allow regental branches to vote in the
\nelection for party leader.<\/p>\n
The move expands the party electorate to 484 from 36
\npreviously, and may improve outgoing chairman Akbar Tandjung's
\nchances at reelection.<\/p>\n
The congress also agreed that a candidate must be nominated by
\n150 members to be eligible.<\/p>\n
The revision to the party's standing order came as a surprise
\nfor Kalla, who was confident that Akbar's camp would not dare to
\nchange the standing order, which would only boost Gen. (ret)
\nWiranto's chance at joining the chairmanship race.<\/p>\n
Another stumbling block for Kalla is a new stipulation in the
\nstanding order, that a candidate should never have been nominated
\nby any other party to a government post.<\/p>\n
Kalla was nominated by Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic
\nParty in the presidential elections.<\/p>\n
Until Wednesday evening, Akbar and steering committee members
\nhad insisted that only its 33 provincial branches and two
\naffiliated organizations had voting rights.<\/p>\n
The about-face was apparently triggered by Vice President
\nJusuf Kalla's claim on Wednesday of clinching the support of 20
\nprovincial branches, along with Agung Laksono's dropping out of
\nthe race and joining forces with Kalla.<\/p>\n
Agung had won the House of Representatives speakership
\nelection upon Akbar's support.<\/p>\n
Akbar, a seasoned politician credited for consolidating Golkar
\nfollowing Soeharto's downfall in 1998, has apparently struck a
\ndeal with Gen. (ret) Wiranto, who is tipped to become Golkar
\nadvisory board chairman.<\/p>\n
During its presidential convention early this year, most
\nregental branches supported Wiranto, Golkar's favored candidate.<\/p>\n
The Akbar camp's decision to give the go-ahead for the
\nrevisions allegedly came after Wiranto indicated that he would
\nthrow his weight behind the outgoing chairman.<\/p>\n
According to Ruhut Sitompul, a close friend of Akbar, Wiranto
\nwould join the Akbar camp to form a Golkar leadership package:
\nWiranto is to be accorded advisory board chairman, while Akbar
\nremains party chairman.<\/p>\n
Speculation was rife that candidate Marwah Daud Ibrahim and
\nSoeharto's son-in law Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto would also
\nbe included in the possible lineup for Golkar's executive board.<\/p>\n
Malkan Amin of the South Sulawesi chapter, a Kalla supporter,
\nsaid despite the revisions, Kalla would stay in the race.<\/p>\n
\"If Jusuf Kalla is not sure about his candidacy, he would not
\nhave joined (in the first place),\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Akbar received two standing ovations for his
\naccountability speech at the congress on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Akbar had to pause at least 10 times during his 40-page speech
\nto shouts of \"Hidup Akbar\" (Long live Akbar) as he detailed his
\nparty career since his election as leader shortly after the fall
\nof Soeharto, Golkar's founder, in 1998.<\/p>\n
He underlined how he had transformed the party from Public
\nEnemy No. 1 to become the second largest party in the 1999
\nelections and largest party in this year's April legislative
\nelection.<\/p>\n
The congress applauded and stood after they were shown a
\ndocumentary on the party's journey over the last 6 years, and
\ngave a second standing ovation when he closed his speech with: \"I
\nhave done my best for the party. It is up to you to judge what I
\nhave given to the party.\"<\/p>",
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