Convention to have code of conduct

JAKARTA: Golkar Party deputy chairman Slamet Effendy Yusuf said on Thursday that his party would draft a code of conduct for all committee members organizing the party's convention to select its presidential candidate.

Slamet said the code of conduct would prohibit committee members from openly favoring any candidates during the convention.

Golkar is expected to hold a convention in August to select the party's presidential candidate, the only kind of selection conducted by political parties in the country. The presidential election is scheduled for next year.

The convention could enable figures from outside the party to run for the presidency.

According to the Constitution, a presidential aspirant must be nominated by a political party or a coalition of parties, effectively closing the door to independent candidates.

Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid is the first nonpartisan figure to declare his bid for the presidency. Some Golkar provincial chapters have touted Nurcholish as the party's presidential candidate.

Slamet asserted that all committee members had to maintain neutrality. -- JP