Kalla catches heat over Golkar bid

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Vice President Jusuf Kalla's surprise bid for the Golkar Party chairmanship has been met with concerns that his performance in government would fall, as well as with calls that he quit the race while he is ahead.

National Mandate Party (PAN) leader Amien Rais said on Wednesday that holding the top post in the country's largest party interfere with Kalla's concentration on his state duties.

"Without intending to meddle in Golkar's internal affairs, I call on Pak Kalla not to contest the chairmanship (election) as he is Vice President," Amien told Antara.

He also warned that Kalla's winning the Golkar chairmanship would result in a conflict of interest: "...a three-pronged conflict of interest would ensue with Kalla acting as a state leader, a party politician and a businessman, which would create endless controversy, as he is directly elected by the people."

Amien, formerly speaker of People's Consultative Assembly and a presidential candidate, said Kalla's ambition was a setback in the nation's efforts to bring changes following the first direct presidential election in Indonesian history.

"If he wins Golkar's mandate, his focus will turn to the 2009 presidential election," Amien said.

When he took office, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had requested that his Cabinet ministers relinquish their party jobs and concentrate on helping him run the administration.

Former president Megawati Soekarnoputri and former vice president Hamzah Haz retained their party leadership posts throughout their tenure, and critics continually accused them of abusing state facilities for party interests.

Mutammimul Ula, head of the law and human rights department of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), joined the chorus of criticism against Kalla's Golkar bid.

"It will only cause complications and conflicts of interest," Mutammimul said.

Analysts say Kalla's move is connected to an effort by the Susilo administration to keep Golkar under control.

Incumbent Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung led a coalition of parties to support Megawati in September's election runoff, vowing later to form an opposition camp in the House of Representatives following Susilo's victory.

Earlier on Tuesday, People's Consultative Assembly (PKS) Speaker and former PKS chairman Hidayat Nur Wahid lashed out at Kalla, saying that he owed his rise to the vice presidency not to Golkar, but to the PKS and several other political parties.

Hidayat also asserted that a holding two positions was not part of the agreement struck between the PKS and Susilo-Kalla ahead of the September runoff.

"But an effort to avoid a dual position is very important," Hidayat said.

Shortly after he was elected as Assembly speaker, Hidayat quit his post as PKS chairman.