Election of PD leader stalled

Wahyoe Boedhiwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

A tough debate over standing orders and statutes forced President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's political party to postpone the election of a party leader.

The three-day congress of the Democrat Party (PD) should have elected a new leader on the final day of its first national meeting on Sunday night.

However, the congress had to be extended until early Monday after discussions of all the congress items were prolonged from the original schedule due to hot debate.

Much of the time was spent discussing the party's standing orders and statutes, particularly about articles on requirements for candidates eligible to contest the leadership race.

A debate over the standing orders started on Saturday but was adjourned until the next day as participants failed to agree on the issue of whether candidates must have at least a senior high school (SMU) diploma or a university degree.

In a vote on Sunday night, the congress eventually agreed that would-be contestants must be university graduates. Of the 447 participants with voting rights, 246 voted for the minimum university diploma requirement and only 196 voted for a SMU degree as a minimum requirement.

Four votes were declared invalid and one participant abstained.

The decision deprived two of the 12 party chairperson hopefuls from contesting the election, artist Sys NS and Soekartono Hadiwarsito, who both hold only SMU diplomas.

Sys said he accepted the final decision, although he was dissatisfied with the vote result, saying he believed it was a political maneuver by his rivals to block his bid.

Meanwhile, another candidate, Hayono Isman, had to drop out of the race because he failed to pass the requirement that hopefuls must have served as Democrat Party executives for at least one year. Hayono is a former Golkar Party executive.

Also, current State Minister of Administrative Reforms Taufiq Effendi announced his withdrawal from the race on Sunday night, just hours before the election, despite strong support for his bid.

"With no disrespect for all who nominated me, I have decided to withdraw from the election and request that votes for me be given to my elder Prof. Subur Budisantoso," Taufiq said. Subur is the incumbent party leader.

Taufiq had met all the requirements. However, President Susilo had reportedly prohibited Taufiq from joining the party's leadership election earlier last week.

The withdrawal of the four leaves only eight to compete for the party's top post. They are Subur, Susilo's brother-in-law Hadi Utomo, Ahmad Mubarok, Sutan Bhatoegana, Nurhayati Ali Assegaf, Suratto Siswodiharjo, Agus Abu Bakar Arsal and Hamidah Hamid.

Susilo, who cofounded the party, has remained silent as to whom he supports to lead the party, the fourth largest in the House of Representatives with 56 seats.

An eligible candidate must also secure at least 50 votes from 447 provincial and regency branches of the party attending the congress.

The incumbent, Subur, was tipped to retain his post after Taufiq Effendi and Hayono Isman lent him their support.

His strongest rivals were likely Susilo's brother-in-law Hadi Utomo and Ahmad Mubarok.