JP/2/Hasyim

JP/2/Hasyim

Presidential candidates solicit more support as election nears

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The two presidential candidates camps intensified their efforts
on Saturday to garner more support nationwide as the Sept. 20
presidential election runoff draws near.

In Jakarta, vice presidential hopeful Hasyim Muzadi visited on
Saturday, Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, chief patron of the
National Awakening Party (PKB), at Cipto Mangunkusumo General
Hospital (RSCM) in Central Jakarta.

Gus Dur was hospitalized a few days ago after his insulin
level surged above normal.

The visit was apparently aimed at mending Hasyim's strained
relationship with Gus Dur, as well as garnering support from him
and his partner in the election.

Emerging from Gus Dur's hospital room, Hasyim, the running
mate of Megawati Soekarnoputri, dismissed allegations that he and
Gus Dur were making political deals.

"We just shared a light moment together, we joked a lot. The
only thing we talked seriously about was the recent release of
Malaysian former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim," he was
quoted by Antara as saying on Saturday.

Gus Dur is a prominent figure in densely populated East Java
province, where he has a large following in the Nadhlatul Ulama
(NU), the largest Muslim organization in the country. It boasts
some 40 million followers nationwide, with a stronghold in East
Java. Gus Dur, a former NU chairman, is the grandson of the late
Hasyim As'ari, the founder of the organization.

Separately, presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
from Hasyim's rival camp, visited Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam
province on the same day, where he held talks with Muslim clerics
in the strife-torn province. In the meeting, Susilo reiterated
his promise that he would return peace in the province should he
be elected.

Earlier on the same day, Susilo held a similar meeting with
the Christian community in Medan, North Sumatra province, where
he vowed to eradicate chronic corruption in the country.

The same promise was made by his running mate Jusuf Kalla in
Padang, West Sumatra province, where he vowed that if he and
Susilo were elected, his administration would appoint a clean and
resolute attorney general and National Police chief during their
first three months in office.

In Banjarmasin, Central Kalimantan province, Golkar Party
leader Akbar Tandjung again drummed up support for Megawati's bid
for the presidency, calling on the party's rank and file in the
city to help her be reelected. Speaking during the declaration of
the province's Nationhood Coalition that supports Megawati's bid
for the presidency, Akbar said that supporting Megawati had been
a party decision, so that all members of the party had to support
it fully. Those who refuse to support Megawati in the
presidential election runoff will be severe punished, said Akbar.

Later on in the afternoon, Akbar flew back to Jakarta to
attend a youth gathering that declared support for Megawati's bid
for the presidency. The gathering was attended by some 2,000
youths, claiming that they represented 25 youth organizations
nationwide.