Golkar gears up for elections

JAKARTA: Four Golkar presidential candidates have expressed their readiness to help improve the party's image by participating in the March campaign.

The four candidates -- former military chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto, former chief of the Army Strategic Reserves Command Prabowo Subianto, businessman Aburizal Bakrie and Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla -- expressed their support during a meeting on Monday night organized by Golkar's election team (Bapilu).

Bapilu chairman Slamet Effendi Yusuf said on Tuesday that three other candidates were absent from the important meeting. They were media tycoon Surya Paloh, Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and party leader Akbar Tandjung.

Slamet said the four candidates would also contribute funds for Golkar's election campaign.

He added that the technicalities of the campaign would be decided after the General Elections Commission (KPU) issued the campaign schedule.

The general election will be held on April 5, 2004 and the presidential election on July 5. The official campaign period is from March 11 through April 1. Twenty-four political parties will contest the elections. -- JP