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.