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.