Golkar begins presidential screening

JAKARTA: Hasta Karya, a forum of eight organizations under the Golkar Party, began screening four presidential hopefuls on Monday at the Mulia Hotel here, months before the party holds national congresses in October 2003 and February 2004.

The four, who were invited by the forum to present their visions for the country, were media baron Surya Paloh, Minister of Transportation Agum Gumelar, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla and former Indonesian Military chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto.

Oetojo Oesman, who led the meeting, said Hasta Karya was working to identify who was eligible to run for president.

The forum will soon summon several other presidential hopefuls.

After completing the screening of the presidential hopefuls, the forum will select several candidates and present them at the party's national congresses.

At the October congress five candidates will be selected, and by February next year the party will name one candidate to contest the 2004 presidential elections scheduled to take place sometime between June and August.

Hasta Karya will have just eight of the 530 official votes at the party's national congresses, but its position is significant because most of its members are executives at Golkar's chapters and branches, which hold 30 and 416 votes, respectively.

Among the members of Hasta Karya are the Association of Mutual Assistance Cooperatives and the Mutual Aid Family Conference. --JP