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.