Fuad, Soetrisno to compete for PAN leadership

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minister of transportation, has reportedly withdrawn from the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.