Fuad, Soetrisno to compete for PAN leadership

Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang

Participants of the National Mandate Party's (PAN) congress returned to the congress arena on Saturday with two out of the seven candidates for party leader emerging as the main contenders.

The candidates in questions are Fuad Bawazier, who claims he is supported by 60 percent of eligible voters, and Soetrisno Bachir, who claims a majority of congress participants support him.

Another strong candidate, Hatta Radjasa, currently the minister of transportation, has reportedly withdrawn from the race, against the wishes of his supporters from Maluku, Papua, Gorontalo, Aceh and Bandung. Hatta apparently withdrew after meeting Amien Rais, a veteran politician and the current PAN leader, few days ago.

Like the other five candidates, Fuad and Soetrisno meet requirements for PAN leader, including possessing membership cards. "Many PAN regional executives, the real voters, have expressed support for me. I estimate they account for 60 percent of eligible voters at the congress," said Fuad, a former minister of finance under president Soeharto. Fuad said his campaign team was still working to gain the support of more regional executives, including those from South Kalimantan.

He claimed that he had also been advised by members of Hatta Radjasa's success team that Hatta would withdraw from the race.

"I was asked to be more active in approaching Hatta's supporters," he said.

Separately, Soetrisno, a businessman who has the support of PAN's outgoing charismatic leader Amien Rais, said he had visited regional PAN leaders over the past few months, and that they had pledged support for him.

The fierce competition has been tarnished by the sending of malicious mobile phone text messages (SMSes) to participants of the congress, which is being held in a hotel in Semarang, capital of Central Java province.

"I received an SMS mudslinging one candidate," said Sarno Zivi Suwandi, a PAN regional executive from West Kalimantan.

Meanwhile, amid fierce competition between Fuad and Soetrisno, candidate Samuel Kotto is apparently aware that his chances of being elected PAN leader are slim.

He bluntly admitted that only 10 percent of participants supported him. But he quickly added: "It may only be 10 percent, but it is pure support, untarnished by bribery."

The more than 1,000 congress participants joined commission meetings on Saturday, which discussed various matters, including amendment of the party's statutes and the establishment of a committee to organize the PAN leadership election. The election was scheduled to kick off on Saturday night.