Marwah to challenge Akbar in Golkar leadership race<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Golkar deputy leader Marwah Daud Ibrahim said on Monday that she
\nwas ready to challenge party leader Akbar Tandjung in the party's
\nleadership election at its 7th national congress in Bali from
\nDec. 15 to Dec. 20.<\/p>\n
\"As the incumbent, Pak Akbar is the most prepared candidate,
\nbut I am ready to challenge him, otherwise there will only be one
\ncandidate in the leadership race,\" Marwah said here.<\/p>\n
She said that after announcing her readiness to contest the
\nelection, she would approach the party's regional chapters to
\nmuster up support.<\/p>\n
The statute and platform of the party will also be discussed
\nat the national congress.<\/p>\n
Golkar's research and development department deputy leader
\nHajriyanto Y. Thohari, meanwhile, said that Marwah would likely
\nbe Akbar's main rival in the leadership election.<\/p>\n
According to him, other Golkar leaders would not challenge
\nAkbar as they considered he had successfully led the party since
\n1998.<\/p>\n
\"However, figures from outside Golkar's executive board will
\ncontest the race,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Akbar was elected Golkar leader at the party's congress in
\nJakarta in 1998. He defeated Edi Sudradjat, who later set up the
\nIndonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI).<\/p>\n
Akbar took over party leadership when anti-Golkar sentiment
\nwas still running high due to its support of former president
\nSoeharto, who ruled the country with an iron first for more than
\nthree decades.<\/p>\n
He successfully consolidated the party, which came second in
\nthe 1999 election, the first following the fall of Soeharto in
\n1998.<\/p>\n
\"Akbar's success in consolidating the party will deter other
\nGolkar leaders from contesting the election,\" Hajriyanto added.<\/p>\n
Marwah said she would also propose that the presidential
\nconvention process be included in Golkar's statute to ensure the
\nparty's commitment to the promotion of democracy.<\/p>\n
She said that Golkar should allow those who contested the
\npresidential convention to contest the leadership election.
\nThey are former military chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto, former chief
\nof the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) Lt. Gen. (ret)
\nPrabowo Subianto, media baron Surya Paloh, and Yogyakarta
\nGovernor, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X.<\/p>\n
Other possible contestants are Vice President Jusuf Kalla,
\nCoordinating Minister for the Economy Aburizal Bakrie, and House
\nSpeaker Agung Laksono.<\/p>\n
Among the bodies that have voting rights at the party's
\nnational congress are the Central Executive Board (DPP), the
\nProvincial chapters (DPD I), and subsidiary organizations, such
\nas the Multipurpose Cooperation of Mutual Assistance (Kosgoro),
\nIndonesian Organizational Center for Independent Employees
\n(Soksi), and the Mutual Assistance Consultative Organization
\n(MKGR), and others.<\/p>",
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