Election of PD leader stalled

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.