Golkar jumps the gun with selection of presidential nominees

Golkar jumps the gun with selection of presidential nominees

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Stealing the nomination start, the Golkar Party, a political
machine that backed the former, repressive New Order regime, has
nominated five political figures in its race to return to power
in 2004, from whom one will be selected as the party's
presidential candidate.

Party Chairman Akbar Tandjung revealed to the press on Friday
that a team set up to select the Golkar presidential candidate
has nominated Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf
Kalla, Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, Minister of
Transportation Agum Gumelar, former defense minister Wiranto, and
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono as possible candidates.

"Of the five, the selection team jointly led by Slamet Effendy
Yusuf and Mahadi Sinambela, will select only one, who will be put
forth as the party's candidate in the next presidential race," he
said.

Acting upon its political experience gained during the 32-year
New Order regime, Golkar tried to get a head start in the
presidential campaign by introducing relatively fresh figures,
who are expected to repair the party's badly tarnished image.

Kalla, who was expected to raise political support in the
country's eastern region, confirmed his presidential candidacy
and said he was preparing himself for the race.

Agum and Susilo, two military figures, were expected to be
snatched up by other political parties as presidential
candidates.

Many political analysts doubt that the sultan would accept his
nomination by Golkar, because he represents all tiers of society
through his current appointment as governor and his status as
king.

Analysts have also said that Golkar would be politically
overburdened if it nominated Wiranto, who was closely linked to
former president Soeharto and the 1999 East Timor riots that
claimed hundreds of lives.

Akbar implicitly conceded that the absence of his name on the
list had to do with his corruption conviction as ruled by verdict
of the Central Jakarta District Court, which sentenced him to
three years' imprisonment, and upheld by the Jakarta High Court.
He and his party seemed reluctant to take the risk of nominating
him, as there is little chance of the Supreme Court accepting his
appeal.

Aside from the capabilities and credibility of the five
nominees, Golkar was also putting its own credibility to the test
in the first direct presidential election. Political analysts
said that Golkar was assessing its popularity by naming the five
prospective presidential candidates.

The majority of Indonesians, as well as pro-reform and pro-
democracy groups, still feel traumatized by, and antagonistic
towards, former president Soeharto's dictatorial regime, which
had the full support of Golkar and the military for over three
decades.

The presence of Soeharto loyalists in Golkar could be a
deterrent for voters to vote for the party and its candidate in
the 2004 elections.

However, whoever Golkar's candidate, he is certain to face
incumbent President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who almost certainly
will be put forth by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI Perjuangan) as its presidential hopeful.