SMU, BA grad for chairman?<\/p>\n
Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar<\/p>\n
As the Democratic Party Congress entered the second day on
\nSaturday, participants hotly debated the minimum requirements for
\ncandidates to contest the election of party chairman.<\/p>\n
Top of the agenda was whether would-be contestants must have
\nminimum of a senior high school (SMU) diploma or a bachelor's
\ndegree in order to be eligible.<\/p>\n
Two out of the 12 party chairman hopefuls, Sys NS and
\nSoekartono Hadiwarsito, only possess senior high school diplomas.
\nWith the participants unable to agree on the issue on Saturday,
\nchair of the session Rizal Max Rompas decided that final voting
\nover the matter would be held on Sunday before the vote for party
\nchairman.<\/p>\n
The congress on Saturday did agree that prospective candidates
\nmust have served a minimum of a year on the party executive
\nboard.<\/p>\n
After the first round of voting for the post on Sunday, the
\nrace will be narrowed to the top two highest vote-getters, with
\nthe eventual winner required to be supported by at least 50
\npercent of the 476 votes cast.<\/p>\n
Another issue that could not be agreed upon was whether the
\nheads of the party's 14 branches and chapters nationwide could
\nkeep their positions if they were elected chairman.<\/p>\n
\"This has to be settled before the participants vote for the
\nnew party chairman on Sunday,\" said Rizal.<\/p>\n
By Saturday evening, the congress committee had accepted the
\nnominations of 12 candidates -- Subur Budisantoso, Soekartono
\nHadiwarsito, Hayono Isman, Nurhayati Assegaf, Sys NS, Hadi Utomo,
\nSuratto Hadiwarsito, Ahmad Mubarok, Agus Abu Bakar Arsal, Taufiq
\nEffendi, Hamidah Hamid and Sutan Batoegana.<\/p>\n
Taufiq Effendi, who is currently the State Minister of
\nAdministrative Reforms, had earlier said that he would not run
\nfor party chairmanship -- but later said he had changed his mind
\nafter some chapters gave him their support. He entered the race
\nlate on Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the party co-founder and
\nan influential figure within the party, has thus far kept silent
\nabout whom he supports for the party chair.<\/p>\n
The Democratic Party, the start-up party that was established
\ntwo years ago, ranked fifth out of 24 parties in last year's
\nlegislative elections, winning 7.45 percent of the vote.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/smu-ba-grad-for-chairman-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}