Golkar seeks presidential hopefuls
Golkar seeks presidential hopefuls
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
All the provincial chapters of Golkar, former president
Soeharto's political vehicle during his 32-year rule, have begun
deliberating the presidential hopefuls they will propose for
selection at the convention to be held by the country's second
biggest party.
Golkar's chapter in Southeast Sulawesi is expected to nominate
former Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto and
Golkar leader Marwah Daud Ibrahim at the convention.
Hino Biohanis, who chairs Golkar's Southeast Sulawesi chapter,
said on Friday he wanted his party to include Wiranto and Marwah
on the list of the big five presidential candidates to be picked
during the convention.
In South Sulawesi, the stronghold of Golkar chairman Akbar
Tandjung's opponents, the provincial chapter will likely oppose
the nomination of the party's convicted leader as its
presidential candidate.
However, Golkar executives in the province were debating the
issue, Antara reported on Friday.
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla is
expected to win support for his presidential bid from South
Sulawesi, his home province.
Yet the name of Akbar, who is awaiting the outcome of his
appeal against a three-year jail sentence for graft, has
reportedly been floated as one of Golkar's presidential
candidates for next year.
The Golkar convention will run from July 11 through July 30,
2003.
Convention chairman Slamet Effendy Yusuf said that even though
the presidential nominations had been officially opened, none of
the Golkar provincial chapters had come up with the names of
their candidates as they needed time to accommodate the views of
district chapters.
"Formally, the nominations open today. But, the provincial
chapters need time to accommodate input from the district
chapters," Slamet told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
Based on the convention's rules, each district chapter can
submit five presidential nominees to their respective provincial
chapters for discussion.
Each provincial chapter will then bring five candidates to the
convention at the national level.
Individuals wishing to contest the 2004 direct presidential
election on the Golkar ticket must show documents proving that
they are supported by at least 500 people from five provinces.
Presidential hopefuls are also allowed to use mass
organizations to support their nominations. The organizations
have to announce this support directly to Golkar's registration
committee.
Slamet said that the committee was ready to receive any self-
nominated candidates for registration on Friday.
Convention deputy secretary Rully Chairul Azwar said that he
hoped that mass organizations, individuals wishing to nominate
themselves and Golkar's provincial chapters would start
registering their nominations next week.
He confirmed that there had been an individual trying to
obtain a registration form, but he had been rejected by the party
as he failed to show nomination documents.
Rully declined to name the person in question.
Several figures, including respected Muslim scholar Nurcholish
Madjid, media tycoon Surya Paloh, Wiranto and the former chief of
the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad), Lt. Gen. (ret.)
Prabowo Subianto -- Soeharto's son-in-law -- have reportedly
decided to take part in the convention.
But, none of them have registered their presidential
nominations with the Golkar team.
Separately, a close Nurcholish aide, Erry Riyana Harjapamekas,
said the Muslim scholar would use the three mechanisms to ensure
the success of his nomination at the convention.
Nurcholish, better known as Cak Nur, would go to the
registration team as an individual and show evidence that he was
supported by at least 500 people from five provinces, Erry added.
He said Cak Nur would continue his roadshow to Golkar branches
in regencies and provinces across the country in a bid to solicit
support for his nomination.
Erry claimed that some mass organizations had given their
backing to Cak Nur to contest the presidential election through
Golkar.
However, he declined to name those organizations.