Amien, Wiranto vow neutrality, abstention in September runoff
Amien, Wiranto vow neutrality, abstention in September runoff
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Two former presidential candidates have elected not to support
either Megawati Soekarnoputri or Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the
Sept. 20 election runoff, but did encourage supporters to vote in
the upcoming poll.
Wiranto and Amien Rais, who finished third and fourth
respectively in the first round of the presidential election on
July 5, also pledged to respect and support whoever was elected
president.
"We give our party leaders and sympathizers the freedom to
vote for either candidate in the upcoming election," Amien said
after a meeting attended by 27 central executive board members
and 32 regional leaders of his National Mandate Party (PAN) on
Friday evening.
Incumbent President Megawati and her former security minister
Susilo will contest the Sept. 20 runoff.
Another former presidential candidate, Hamzah Haz, who
is also Megawati's Vice President, has announced his support for
his boss.
"We urge all of our supporters to exercise their right to vote
based on their conscience, while taking into account the reform
agenda," Amien said.
Amien, who is the leader of PAN, acknowledged that about 55
percent of the central executive board members and regional party
leaders backed Susilo and his running mate, Jusuf Kalla, in the
runoff, while the remainder preferred to remain neutral or
supported Megawati and running mate Hasyim Muzadi.
Prior to the meeting, Amien, who is also speaker of the
People's Consultative Assembly, met with Megawati at her
residence in Kebagusan, South Jakarta. However, he refused to
reveal what the pair discussed.
Amien said he also met with Susilo and Kalla on Thursday night
to talk about how to promote honesty and fairness in the runoff.
"My visit to Ibu Megawati's home, as well as with Pak Susilo
and Pak Kalla last night (Thursday), were exchange visits because
they separately visited me at my residence," Amien said.
Earlier in the day, Wiranto and his running mate, Solahuddin
Wahid, who were nominated by the Golkar Party, announced they
would not endorse either presidential candidate in the runoff.
Wiranto, who received the Golkar candidacy after edging out
party leader Akbar Tandjung at Golkar's presidential convention
in May, said he had decided not to back either candidate.
Golkar, which received the most votes in the April 5
legislative election, has formed a loose coalition with the
Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP), the Christian-
oriented Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) and the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to support Megawati in the
runoff. The four parties control a total of 307 seats in the 550-
member House of Representatives.
Megawati, who is seeking a full five-year term, is also
supported by the Muslim-based Reform Star Party (PBR).
"We are not party members. We have no obligation to follow the
political line of Golkar," Wiranto said.
Susilo, who was nominated by the Democratic Party, the
Crescent Star Party and the Indonesia Unity and Justice Party
(PKPI), has won the endorsement of the Muslim-based Prosperous
Justice Party, which received 8.3 million votes in the
legislative election thanks in large part to its anticorruption
platform.