Golkar gears up for elections

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