Hamzah denies plot to foil Amien's bid

JAKARTA: Presidential candidate Hamzah Haz denied on Friday accusations that he had cooperated with another presidential candidate, Megawati Soekarnoputri, to block Amien Rais' bid for the presidency.

"I have spent so much energy and money to run for president, so it is not logical to say I just got in the race to block Amien Rais," he said in Bogor.

The accusation was aired in a seminar on Thursday by the deputy chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Mahfud M.D, who said that Hamzah's candidacy would divide Muslim votes between him and Amien Rais, and open the way for Megawati Soekarnoputri to make it to the runoff. -- Antara