Grassroots ready for Susilo's campaign for presidency
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A group of professionals, religious leaders, students, organizations and senior military officers announced on Friday a movement to gather support for presidential hopeful Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Susilo was not present for the announcement but met with senior military officers earlier in the day to share his political vision before attending Friday prayers at the Jakarta Military Command.
Susilo was chief of staff of the city's military command in 1996, the year of the attack on the Jakarta headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) to oust a camp led by current President Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Claiming to be independent, the group said Susilo should engage more with the grassroots if he was serious about becoming president. Yani Wahid, a member of the movement, said Susilo was a "new phenomenon who brings promise to the uncertain political situation".
The group, which said it was funded by individual members, added that it was ready to educate people about how to best channel their political aspirations, and would establish "posts" nationwide to introduce their presidential candidate.
As of late Friday, Susilo's three-year-old Democratic Party stood fifth in the provisional tally from the April 5 legislative election with 7 million votes, or about 8 percent of the over 147 million registered voters.
Because it has garnered more than 5 percent of the popular vote and stands to win more than 3 percent of the seats in the 550-seat House of Representatives, the Democratic Party is eligible to nominate a candidate for the July 5 presidential election.
Political parties must register their presidential candidates from May 1 to May 7.
Over the past several weeks, Susilo has met with several party leaders, including Abdurrahman Wahid from the National Awakening Party (PKB), Yusril Ihza Mahendra from the Crescent Star Party (PBB), Hidayat Nur Wahid from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and several executives from the Golkar Party.
Susilo has yet to declare which party he is working with or indicate a possible vice presidential running mate.
During Friday's meeting with some 25 senior military officers, Susilo outlined his political vision for the nation.
Those in attendance included Lt. Gen. (ret) Harsudiono Hartas, a former military chief of social and political affairs, Lt. Gen. (ret) Kharis Suhud, a former speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly, and Lt. Gen. (ret) TB Silalahi, a former minister of administrative reform.