Gus Dur endorses Susilo's bid for presidency

Gus Dur endorses Susilo's bid for presidency

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Reneging on his earlier vow to abstain, former president
Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid declared on Saturday he would vote
for Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the Sept. 20 runoff.

Emerging from a 30-minute talk at the Regent Hotel, Gus Dur
said he did not represent the National Awakening Party (PKB),
which he co-founded in 1998, in his decision.

"Personally yes, but there are differences between personal
and party views," he said, when asked if he supported Susilo.

PKB executives will announce their stance in the face of the
runoff sometime next week. Four major parties -- Golkar Party,
the Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the United Development
Party (PPP) and the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) -- formed a
coalition to support the incumbent, President Megawati
Soekarnoputri, and her running mate Hasyim Muzadi on Aug. 19.
Meanwhile, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the Crescent
Star Party (PBB) stand behind the Susilo-Kalla ticket.

Gus Dur decided to abstain after the General Elections
Commission (KPU) barred him from contesting the presidential
election. However, he endorsed the nomination of former
Indonesian Military chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto and his running mate
Solahuddin Wahid -- who is Gus Dur's brother -- and a coalition
between Golkar and the PKB.

Wiranto was eliminated after receiving the third highest
number of votes behind the Megawati-Hasyim ticket. However, on
paper he should have made it to the runoff as Golkar and the PKB
collectively received 36.4 million votes in the general election,
whereas the PDI-P -- which Megawati leads -- received just over
21 million votes.

Susilo has met with Gus Dur, who is chief patron of the PKB,
three times since the first round of the presidential election.
The two also participated in a fun walk together last Sunday.

Saturday's meeting with Gus Dur caused Susilo to cancel his
presence at a mass rally of his supporters at the Jakarta Fair
ground.

Gus Dur also met with the President four times in the last
month, the latest occasion being in Bali last Friday. However,
Gus Dur denied his talks with Megawati were related to the
presidential election.

Megawati replaced Gus Dur on July 21, 2001 after the latter
was dismissed by the People's Consultative Assembly. The two were
reunited only after three years of enmity.

Gus Dur's relationship with Susilo seems more relaxed.
Although, as president, Gus Dur dismissed Susilo -- who was at
that time chief security meeting -- for refusing to support the
former's plan to declare a state of emergency in 2001.

Gus Dur was among the first national figures to meet with
Susilo after the latter was dismissed as chief security minister
by President Megawati in March of this year.

Meanwhile, Megawati's campaign team said on Saturday she would
allocate 25 percent of seats in her future cabinet for
professionals.

Member of Megawati's campaign team Heri Akhmadi said the
remaining seats would be distributed among parties that supported
her presidential bid.

"Professionals will fill positions related to law enforcement
and the economy," Heri said.

Earlier, the team had revealed their nomination of law expert
Achmad Ali, economists Mari Pangestu and Sri Mulyani and Muslim
scholar Azyumardi Azra for Megawati's next cabinet.