Golkar to boldly go where no party has gone before<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Analysts may criticize the Golkar Party's convention but the
\nparty will create a history when it votes for its presidential
\ncandidate here on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Convention organizers said more than 400 domestic and foreign
\nobservers had expressed their intention to witness the one-day
\nevent, the first ever held by a political party in the country.<\/p>\n
\"We hope this event will become a model for other parties,\"
\nparty deputy secretary Bomer Pasaribu said on Monday.<\/p>\n
Golkar, the political machine of former autocrat president
\nSoeharto, will embark on an unprecedented move -- selecting its
\nstandard bearer for the July 5 presidential election through a
\nconvention.<\/p>\n
Five candidates are fighting to get the party's endorsement
\nfor their presidential bid -- party leader Akbar Tandjung; former
\nmilitary chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto; media magnate Surya Paloh;
\nbusinessman Aburizal Bakrie; and former chief of Army's Strategic
\nReserves Command (Kostrad) Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla
\nwithdrew his candidacy on Sunday -- just 48 hours before the
\nconvention kicked off. Another candidate, Yogyakarta Governor
\nSultan Hamengku Buwono X, withdrew his candidacy after the
\nSupreme Court acquitted Akbar from graft charges in February.<\/p>\n
Nineteen presidential aspirants had registered for the
\nconvention in September last year. However, after a pre-
\nconvention culling in the party's regental and provincial
\nchapters, only seven candidates qualified for the next round.<\/p>\n
Steering committee chairman Oetojo Oesman said on Sunday the
\nwinning candidate for the July 5 direct presidential election
\nwould need to win more than half of 545 votes in the convention.<\/p>\n
If none of the five candidates won more than 50 percent, a
\nsecond round run-off between the two top-polling candidates would
\nselect the eventual winner, he said.<\/p>\n
The 545 votes comprise 421 votes from the regental branches,
\n96 votes from the provincial chapters, 10 votes from Golkar's
\nmass organizations and 18 votes from the Central Executive Board
\n(DPP).<\/p>\n
The DPP announced last Tuesday it would vote for Akbar in the
\nconvention, giving the party leader and House Speaker a handy
\nearly lead.<\/p>\n
However, with 517 of the 545 votes coming from grassroots
\nmembers, the convention would be a forum for the regions to
\ndecide the best candidate, Bomer said.<\/p>\n
The importance of the regional vote has spurred candidates
\ninto a flurry of meetings with regional leaders, some candidates
\nproviding delegates with rooms at the Jakarta Hilton
\nInternational Hotel.<\/p>\n
Bomer said the steering committee had booked rooms in the
\nhotel for delegates as well as the five presidential candidates.<\/p>\n
\"If each candidate books more rooms with their own budget, I
\nthink there is no problem,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Schedules
\n==============================================================
\n8.30 - 9.30 : Opening Session, speeches of convention chairman<\/p>\n
Oetojo Oesman and party leader Akbar Tandjung<\/p>\n
9.45 - 10.15 : Explaining the rules and drawing the speaking<\/p>\n
order for candidates to outline their vision and<\/p>\n
mission<\/p>\n
10.15 - 14.00 : Speeches by candidates<\/p>\n
15:00 - 17.30 : Voting<\/p>\n
17.30 - 18:00 : Announcement of the elected candidate<\/p>\n
20:00 - 21:00 : Closing Session, speech by the elected candidate
\n===============================================================
\nSource: Convention committee<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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