Golkar announces support for Megawati in runoff

Golkar announces support for Megawati in runoff

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The Golkar Party made official on Sunday its support for
presidential candidate Megawati Soekarnoputri and her running
mate Hasyim Muzadi in the Sept. 20 runoff.

Golkar leaders ordered their regional chapters across the
country to tell party supporters to abide by the decision, but
analysts doubt the effectiveness of such efforts.

"We believe the pair of Megawati and Hasyim has been
responsive to our coalition offer," Golkar deputy chairman Slamet
Effendy Yusuf said at the conclusion of a six-hour executive
meeting of the party.

He said all Golkar members were obliged to honor the decision,
and ordered regional chapters to inform party supporters of the
order.

Golkar is the second major political party to throw its
support behind Megawati and her running mate Hasyim Muzadi, the
non-active chairman of the country's largest Muslim organization,
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). The first was the Muslim-based United
Development Party (PPP). Another Muslim-based party, the Reform
Star Party (PBR), has also expressed its intention to back
Megawati, and the National Awakening Party (PAN) is expected to
follow suit.

Megawati and Hasyim, who were nominated by the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Christian-based
Prosperous Peace Party (PDS), will face Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
and Jusuf Kalla in the runoff. The two pairs of candidates
finished second and first respectively in the presidential
election on July 5, beating, among others, Golkar presidential
candidate Wiranto and his running mate Solahuddin Wahid.

Prior to the announcement on Sunday, Golkar leader Akbar
Tandjung had met several times with Megawati and hinted at his
preference for her.

Slamet said Golkar was seeking a coalition on a party basis
that would enable it to wield power in the legislative bodies.

Golkar finished first in the April 5 legislative election,
winning 127 seats in the House of Representatives, followed by
the PDI-P (109) and PPP (58). Susilo was nominated as a
presidential candidate by the Democratic Party, which managed
only 55 House seats.

Another Golkar official, Bomer Pasaribu, had said a coalition
with the PDI-P would provide the party with a springboard to win
the presidency in 2009.

Golkar executive Rambe Kamarulzaman said earlier in the
meeting that the party was divided, with 24 provincial chapters
supporting Megawati, two (Papua and South Sulawesi) backing
Susilo and the rest choosing to remain neutral.

Golkar executives who had earlier expressed support for Susilo
and Kalla, including Fahmi Idris and Priyo Budi Santoso, said
they would comply with the organization's decision.

Political observers Maswadi Rauf and J. Kristiadi, however,
doubted a coalition between political party elites would compel
party supporters on the ground to follow suit, as was seen in the
first round of the election.

"The direct election opens the opportunity for the downstream
to part ways with the elite," Maswadi told Antara. He added that
parties could no longer control grassroot supporters thanks to
changes in the electoral system.

Kristiadi said voters in a direct election would take the
personalities of the candidates into account, not an agreement
between party leaders.

At least three opinion polls since the July 5 presidential
election have shown Susilo and Kalla enjoying a healthy lead in
the runoff.