Candidates seek aristocratic support

Candidates seek aristocratic support

Nana Rukmana and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon/Jakarta

Despite the modern times, royal patronage looks like it is
playing a key role in the upcoming presidential election runoff
as both contenders have taken time out from their busy schedules
to meet traditional rulers whose ancestors ruled on Java.

Frontrunner Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, along with his wife
Kristiani Herawati, paid a courtesy call on Cirebon Sultan
Maulana Pakuningrat XIII on Thursday. The visit came after his
rival, President Megawati Soekarnoputri received Yogyakarta
sultan Hamengkubuwono X at her residence.

Susilo arrived at the Cirebon Palace at noon and was greeted
by crown prince Adipati Arief Natadiningrat, who dressed in royal
attire.

Susilo said he visited the sultan to ask for his support for a
peaceful election on Sept. 20.

"We want the election to run well and democratically," the
retired Army general said.

After the meeting, Sultan Maulana said that Susilo came to him
of his own initiative and there was no commitment to supporting
his presidential bid.

"The sultanate is a traditional institution which will remain
neutral and take the same distance from both candidates," the
sultan told The Jakarta Post.

Earlier in May, Susilo's running mate Jusuf Kalla had visited
the sultanate to ask for the royal family's blessings.

Megawati had also paid a courtesy call to the Cirebon sultan,
while Susilo has twice met with the Yogyakarta sultan since he
was nominated as a presidential candidate.

Ancient sultanates and kingdoms have been maintained as
centers of tradition and culture.

Only the sultan of Yogyakarta has been granted the privilege
of holding administrative power, thanks to the province's special
status. The provincial regulation on the election of the governor
stipulates that the head of the regional government shall be
appointed from among members of the royal family, which critics
say is against the spirit of reform.

On Wednesday, Hamengkubuwono X held talks with Megawati at her
residence on Jl. Teuku Umar in Central Jakarta. He autographed a
picture showing the two leaders sitting together and asked that
it be disseminated across the country.

Megawati's campaign team said they believed the sultan had
thrown his support behind her.

Most Yogyakarta voters chose Susilo and his running mate Jusuf
Kalla in the first round of the presidential election in July,
although Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
garnered the most votes in the April legislative election there.