Golkar Party, PKB leaders claim to support Wiranto
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Golkar and the National Awakening Party (PKB) denied on Tuesday suggestions that they were not fully supporting standard bearers Gen. (ret) Wiranto and cleric Salahuddin Wahid.
They admitted, however, that those who had participated in the Golkar convention were not actively campaigning for the Wiranto- Salahuddin ticket, but said that they had contributed money to the campaign.
"Support does not always mean active campaigning. They have contributed money and provided facilities," Golkar deputy chairman Theo L. Sambuaga said.
Wiranto was elected Golkar's presidential candidate at a party convention participated in by five candidates including chairman Akbar Tandjung, businessman Aburizal Bakrie, media baron Surya Pallo and former Army Strategic Reserve (Kostrad) commander Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto.
With the exception of Akbar, none of the other three failed candidates has so far campaigned for Wiranto, who picked Muslim cleric Salahuddin Wahid from Nadhlatul Ulama (NU) as his running mate.
Akbar has consistently defended Wiranto's candidacy and traveled to the regencies to campaign for him. He is scheduled to visit 15 more cities to campaign for Wiranto shortly.
Another Golkar deputy chairman, Agung Laksono, acknowledged that some regional chapters of Golkar were not so enthusiastic in supporting the Wiranto-Salahuddin campaign, but claimed this was primarily due to financial problems.
"There is no resistance from the regional chapters. However, some chapters are less than enthusiastic as they have not received funds (from the central campaign team)," he told a press conference jointly organized by Golkar and PKB here on Tuesday.
The PKB, which was established by NU ulemas ahead of the 1999 elections, nominated Salahuddin as Wiranto's running mate.
Five presidential aspirants are now campaigning in the country's first direct presidential election on July 5. Aside from Wiranto, other candidates are incumbent Megawati Soekarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Hamzah Haz of the United Development Party (PPP), Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of the Democratic Party, and Amien Rais of the National Mandate Party (PAN).
The official election campaign started on June 1 and will end on July 1.
Some Golkar politicians said earlier that financial problems had prevented some Golkar regional chapters from campaigning for Wiranto and Salahuddin.
One politician, who requested anonymity, said that the money given to local chapters was insufficient.
"The leaders of local Golkar branches received more money during the party's convention than during the election campaign to date," he said, referring to allegations of widespread bribery during the convention.
Meanwhile, Ali Masykur Musa, the deputy chairman of the PKB, boasted that the PKB-Golkar coalition would bring Wiranto and Salahuddin to the country's top offices.
The supporters of Salahuddin were not only PKB voters, but also people who had an emotional affinity with the NU, the country's largest Muslim organization, he said.
NU claims to have around 40 million members but its leaders have pledged support for different candidates in the upcoming election.
But, according to Ali Masykur, the number of NU leaders supporting Wiranto and Salahuddin was much larger than that supporting the Megawati-Hasyim Muzadi ticket or other tickets. Muzadi is the current NU chairman.
Golkar, the political vehicle of former president Soeharto, garnered 24 million votes in the April 5 general election, while the PKB secured 12 million votes.