Candidates set to race for PAN chairmanship
Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang
Five candidates competing for the leadership of the National Mandate Party (PAN) have passed the selection process to join the race at the party's congress beginning on Thursday, according to an official.
The candidates are businessman Soetrisno Bachir, Minister of Transportation Hatta Radjasa, former minister of finance Fuad Bawazier, economist Didik J. Rachbini, and Afni Ahmad.
"They have fulfilled the criteria," said organizing committee head Hakam Naja here on Wednesday.
He pointed out that one of the criteria was that each candidate had to be supported by at least four officials of PAN's provincial branches (DPW), and 40 officials of PAN's regency/mayoralty branches (DPD).
PAN has 450 DPDs and 30 DPWs.
The party, which was set up in 1998 following the stepping down of the country's former authoritarian leader Soeharto, is holding its second congress in Semarang, Central Java, to select a new leader. The party is the fifth largest faction in the House of Representatives and is linked to the country's second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah.
Current PAN chairman Amien Rais, who lost last year's presidential election in the first round, has decided not to join the race, to allow younger cadres to lead and prepare the party to compete in the 2009 general election.
Naja said that the organizing committee was still waiting for two other candidates Muslim Abdurrahman and Samuel Kotto to register. "As of this afternoon, the two have not registered. What is certain is that the names of all candidates who have passed our criteria will be submitted to the plenary session of the congress."
He dismissed reports of candidates practicing money politics to buy votes in order to win the leadership race. Rumor has it that one candidate had promised Rp 3 million for each vote.
"I'm certain that there is no money politics involved. If the rumors can be proven, then the candidate in question will be disqualified," Naja said.
Among the candidates, Soetrisno Bachir seems to be the strongest. Bambang Sudibyo, a former minister of finance and one of the founders of the party, said that Soetrisno was the best suited to lead PAN for the next five years.
In an apparent show of support for Soetrisno, Amien attended on Wednesday a gathering in Yogyakarta held by Soetrisno's camp to drum up support for their candidate. Amien, however, declined to comment on his involvement.
Another prominent candidate, minister Hatta Radjasa, has been facing strong criticism from Amien and Muhammadiyah leaders, who have demanded he resign from the Cabinet before joining the PAN leadership race.
There are concerns that if Hatta wins, he would push PAN to support the current administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as happened with Golkar Party, which ended its opposition role in the House after Vice President Jusuf Kalla took over the party's leadership in December last year.