Minister elected KONI's new chairman
Minister elected KONI's new chairman
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Transportation Minister Agum Gumelar was voted in as the new
chairman of the National Sports Council (KONI) as a three-day
congress ended here on Thursday.
The retired four-star Army general, who also heads the
country's soccer governing body PSSI, won the majority of the 79
votes in its first election.
Agum beat the other three candidates by taking 42 votes.
Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso finished in a distant second with 22
votes with Luhut Binsar Panjaitan and the outgoing KONI deputy
chairman Arie Sudewo taking eight and six respectively. One vote
was declared invalid.
The 79 votes in the ballot were made up of 49 KONI-affiliated
sports organizations and the KONI provincial chapters, which are
known as KONIDA.
It was the first time that KONI has turned to voting in
electing the new chairman to replace Wismoyo Arismunandar, who
was in his post for two four-year terms.
The so named "Team of Seven", which was assigned to find
candidates, listed an initial seven names but during the last
commission meeting narrowed its shortlist to the final four.
The other three -- Iskandar Zulkarnain Adisapoetra, Oesman
Sapta Odang and Andhy Gani Nena Wea -- were deemed unqualified
for the election, falling short of meeting certain criteria.
Before the poll started, the four candidates were given 15
minutes each to deliver their vision and mission, all revolving
around the issue of improving Indonesia's recent poor performance
in international competitions.
Having been with Wismoyo for eight years, Arie, who was given
the first chance to speak, boasted his superior knowledge about
problems facing the national sports and therefore he would most
qualified to rectify them.
Money was the main issue in Sutiyoso's speech, wherein he
reiterated his pledge to provide more funding for KONIDA and a
number of other sports organizations.
Luhut boasted of his experience and international connections,
at times spoke of his "better" academic record, in an
entertaining and eloquent speech.
However, Agum garnered the most votes as he layed his ideas
for a new paradigm wherein there would be no hierarchy between
KONI and its sports affiliations in the effort to build national
sports.
Because he earned more than 50 percent of the votes there was
no need for a second phase of the election.
"Mr. Agum has brought us a new paradigm. Chairing KONI is a
volunteer job, so that should rid us of the old superiors (KONI)
and inferiors KONIDA) pattern," Chairul Tanjung, the chairman of
the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI), commented.
Oyong Karmayuda, from the pencak silat association, said that
apart from his lobbying team, a low-profile personality of Agum
was the key to his success to the KONI post.
Agum will be given 30 days to form the new board of KONI
assisted by Rita Subowo, a representative from the sports
organizations, and the KONI provincial chapter of South Sumatra.