Jusuf Kalla lobbies top Golkar leaders
Jusuf Kalla lobbies top Golkar leaders
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Semarang/Yogyakarta
At least 23, or more than two thirds of Golkar's 32 provincial
leaders, met with vice presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla at a
hotel in Jakarta on Sunday, to discuss possible coalition
building in the Sept. 20 election.
Kalla said the meeting was part of political communications
aimed at drawing support for his candidacy in the upcoming
election.
"I hope they will support me, because we are all Golkar
members," said Kalla, who quit the party's convention to contest
the election with retired four-star Army general Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono.
The General Elections Commission (KPU) declared Susilo of the
Democratic Party and Megawati Soekarnoputri of the Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI-P) the top two winners of the July 5
election.
Provincial leaders attending the meeting came from, among
other provinces, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, Riau, Central
Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, East Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, West
Kalimantan, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Yogyakarta, Bali,
East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Gorontalo,
Bangka Belitung Islands, North Maluku and West Irian Jaya.
Some members of the party's central executive board also
attended the meeting, namely Fahmi Idris, Marzuki Darusman, Abdul
Gafur, Andi Matalatta and Baharudin Napitupulu.
It was not clear whether Golkar leader Akbar Tandjung knew
about the meeting. Akbar -- who Kalla has often irritated by
meeting with provincial Golkar leaders without his knowledge --
had earlier said that the party would announce its political
stance after the Constitutional Court issued its ruling on a
complaint filed by Golkar candidate Wiranto.
Wiranto was unable to support his claim in court that he and
running mate Solahuddin Wahid lost 5.4 million votes in the July
election. The court will issue its ruling on Monday (today).
Earlier on Sunday, Susilo said he would meet with Akbar later
this week to discuss a possible coalition with Golkar. Fahmi said
Susilo would meet with Akbar on Thursday evening.
"It is important for me to share a common view with Golkar
leaders on how we can develop Indonesia in the future," Susilo
said.
Golkar, the political machine of former president Soeharto,
received the most votes in the April 5 legislative election, to
secure 127 of 550 seats.
The PDI-P came in second to secure 109 seats, while, Susilo's
upstart Democratic Party finished fourth with 57 seats.
Given Golkar's extensive political machinery, teaming up with
the party could ensure election victory.
Akbar himself had earlier given the green light to a coalition
with Megawati, who is seeking a full five-year term.
Susilo also said on Sunday that he planned to meet with
Wiranto and Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, chief patron of the
National Awakening Party (PKB), to seek support.
Meanwhile, a youth group affiliated with the United
Development Party (PPP), the Yogyakarta chapter of the Ka'bah
Youth Movement (AMK), threw their weight behind Susilo on Sunday,
saying that the group wanted to see reform.
"Actually, neither Megawati nor Susilo are ideal, but since we
seek reform, we have decided to support the Susilo-Kalla
pairing," AMK chairman Sulaiman Effendi Musa said.
Sulaiman said group members were not worried about facing
possible sanctions imposed by PPP executives, who earlier vowed
to support Megawati.