Hamzah Haz to run for presidency with Gen. Agum

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."