Regions want Golkar voting rules changed<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Golkar Party held a one-day meeting here on Friday, with
\nseveral of its local leaders proposing that the party's regency
\nbranches be granted the right to vote at its upcoming election
\nfor a new chairman.<\/p>\n
Golkar is holding its national congress to elect a new leader
\nfrom Dec. 15 through Dec. 20 in Nusa Dua, Bali. Under the party's
\nprevailing standing orders, only provincial chapters have voting
\nrights.<\/p>\n
\"The aspirations of some regional areas floated at this forum
\nwill be brought to the congress. It's the congress that will make
\na decision,\" Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung told the press after
\nthe meeting at the Kartika Chandra Hotel, Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He did not elaborate further on the issue. But sources said at
\nleast two provincial chapters of the Golkar -- North Sumatra and
\nWest Java -- raised the idea for the party to give its regency
\nbranches voting rights at the leadership congress.<\/p>\n
Based on current standing orders, there will be 36 votes
\ncontested at the congress -- one for the central executive board,
\none for the party's subsidiary groups, one for the party's patron
\nboards, and 33 for each of 33 provincial chapters.<\/p>\n
The proposed granting of voting rights for Golkar's regency
\nchapters is expected to benefit former military chief Gen. (Ret.)
\nWiranto, who will challenge Akbar in the race.<\/p>\n
Wiranto apparently secured structural support from the regency
\nbranches of the country's biggest party.<\/p>\n
The retired Army general defeated Akbar in the party's
\nconvention last April to select a Golkar presidential candidate.
\nWiranto won 315 votes, and party chairman Akbar 227.<\/p>\n
This experience prompted Wiranto's camp to seek voting rights
\nfor regency chapters for the upcoming congress in Bali.<\/p>\n
Other candidates to contest the Golkar's leadership race
\ninclude media tycoon Surya Paloh and three Golkar deputy
\nchairpersons Agung Laksono, Slamet Effendi Yusuf and Marwah Daud
\nIbrahim.<\/p>\n
During Friday's meeting, participants also raised the issue of
\nthe criteria that candidates would need to meet to be deemed
\nqualified for the Golkar chairmanship.<\/p>\n
The proposed criteria included requiring only candidates with
\nhigh capacity to be allowed to contest the race. However, it was
\nnot clear what was meant by \"high capacity\". Golkar was the
\npolitical organization of former president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Golkar's standing orders stipulate that only Golkar
\npoliticians who have had at least five years experience as
\nmembers of the party's executive board can be nominated as
\ncandidates for the top post.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, political observer Arbi Sanit from the University
\nof Indonesia (UI) said that none of the existing candidates could
\noutdo the capacity and integrity of Akbar in the upcoming race.<\/p>\n
As the incumbent chairman, Akbar has access to all regional
\nchapters, he argued.<\/p>\n
M. Akil Mochtar, a Golkar legislator from West Kalimantan,
\nsaid politicians and businessmen are keen to take over the
\nparty's leadership.<\/p>\n
\"Instead of establishing a new party that could cost billions
\nof rupiah, it will be more effective for any wealthy figures to
\ngarner support for their chairmanship bids within Golkar during
\nthe congress,\" Akil said, commenting on possible money politics
\nin the race.<\/p>\n
Separately, former Golkar executive Indra Bambang Utoyo said
\nhe did not rule out the possibility of money politics during the
\ncongress.<\/p>\n
\"Money politics practices are a negative side of the
\nconventions,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/regions-want-golkar-voting-rules-changed-1447893297",
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