Hamzah Haz to run for presidency with Gen. Agum
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Surabaya
United Development Party (PPP) leader Hamzah Haz has added his name to the list of presidential candidates when he announced on Monday he would join the race, picking Cabinet minister Gen. (ret.) Agum Gumelar as his running mate.
PPP executive Sofyan Usman said the decision followed a meeting of party leaders on Monday night at the official residence of vice-president Hamzah in Central Jakarta. The subdued occasion was marked by their leader's personal loss. Hamzah was mourning the death of his step daughter, who died from cancer on Monday morning.
In attendance at the meeting were party officials Habil Marati, Hafid Z. Maksum, Emron Pangkapi, Zarkasih Nur, Sofyan and Hasrul Harahap.
Agum will be the third retired military general to join the race after Wiranto and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who are presidential candidates from the Golkar Party and the Democratic Party respectively.
Agum told Antara he had accepted Hamzah's offer.
"The nation is in need of a strong team to ensure that the reform agenda works and democracy grows stronger," Agum, the minister of communications, said.
He said further steps regarding Hamzah's and his candidacy would be discussed later.
The pair have less than two days to formalize their nominations as registration for presidential and vice presidential candidates with the General Elections Commission (KPU) closes on Wednesday. The duo has to undergo medical tests before registering with the commission.
The KPU has so far only registered the pairing of Susilo and Jusuf Kalla. Wiranto and Solahuddin Wahid (Golkar), Megawati Soekarnoputri and Hasyim Muzadi (the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle), Amien Rais and Siswono Yudohusodo (the National Mandate Party) will follow suit in the next few days.
National Awakening Party (PKB) cofounder Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid has also confirmed his presidential bid, but has not chosen a definite running mate.
Hamzah had earlier been courted by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle to rejoin forces with Megawati to vie for another three-year partnership.
However, Megawati finally picked Hasyim, who heads the 40 million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country's largest Muslim organization.
Wiranto had also made an approach to Hamzah before eventually naming NU deputy leader Solahuddin his running mate on Sunday. Solahuddin accepted Golkar's offer following support from the PKB.
Hamzah also came from the NU.
Another contender to be Hamzah's running mate was former Army chief Gen. (ret) Tyasno Sudarto, PPP executive Emron Pangkapi said.
"We narrowed the choices to Agum and Tyasno, but the floor finally voted for Agum," Emron said.
In Surabaya, Wiranto and Solahuddin appeared before the public for the first time on Monday since Golkar announced its partnership. They attended the opening of the East Java Golkar campaign team.
Solahuddin, the National Commission on Human Rights deputy chairman, said he was prepared to face criticism for becoming the running mate of Wiranto, who has been linked to human rights abuses both here and in East Timor.
"PKB supports my vice presidential candidacy under Golkar, because Wiranto has not been proven guilty by the courts," Solahuddin told The Jakarta Post
"I am sure Wiranto is not guilty, and Wiranto should move ahead with his presidential bid. The charges constitute foreign interference."