Most chapters OK Akbar for 2004 Golkar candidate

Most chapters OK Akbar for 2004 Golkar candidate

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Yogyakarta

Four out of 30 provinces gave a thumbs-down to Akbar Tandjung,
one of the dozens of influential figures who have been nominated
to take part in the party's electoral convention, during which
the Golkar party's presidential candidate will be selected.

Akbar, whose candidacy is expected to win support from the
majority of Golkar's provincial chapters, has yet to pick up the
registration form to confirm his participation in the convention.

This Wednesday is the last day for him and others to pick up
the form, which must be submitted to the convention's organizing
committee by Aug. 7.

Akbar's candidacy has raised public controversy because of his
conviction by the Central Jakarta District Court for his
involvement in a Rp 40 billion (US$4.8 million) graft case. He
has appealed to the Supreme Court, after his appeal to the High
Court was rejected. Akbar has been sentenced to three years in
prison.

Despite the verdict, the presidential election law allows
convicted individuals to contend the presidential election, if
their prison sentence is under five years.

The nominees proposed by the four provincial chapters include
businessman Aburizal Bakrie and Coordinating Minister for
People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla.

These two Golkar figures ranked among the top of the 13
presidential candidates nominated by party branches in South
Sulawesi's 25 regencies. The other nominees are former chief of
the Indonesian Military Gen. (ret) Wiranto, Golkar legislator
Marwah Daud Ibrahim, chief editor of Media Indonesia daily Surya
Paloh and Yogyakarta governor Hamengkubuwono X.

"We have decided to nominate a total of 13 individuals to take
part in the convention," said Amin Syam, chairman of the South
Sulawesi chapter.

West Kalimantan submitted five nominees, including Aburizal,
Wiranto and Kalla. The others are former chief of Army's Special
Forces (Kopassus) Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto and Surya
Paloh.

"We have not put Pak Akbar on our list because he has not
registered," said Gusti Syamsumin, chairman of the West
Kalimantan chapter.

Central Sulawesi submitted six nominees, including Kalla and
Aburizal. The others were Muslim intellectual Nurcholish Madjid,
transportation minister Agum Gumelar and prominent Golkar figure
Theo Sambuaga.

Yogyakarta also supported Kalla and Aburizal besides governor
Hamengkubuwono X.

Apart from nominations from party chapters and branches,
independent candidates can also take part in the convention
garnering the support of at least 500 party supporters, or a
nomination by one of the party's many affiliations.

So far, only 12 of the nominees, including Nurcholish, have
picked up the registration form for the convention, which is
scheduled for February 2004.

The Golkar party, which Akbar chairs, reached the peak of its
political power during former president Soeharto's repressive 32-
year regime, of which it was a staunch supporter. The party has
been making efforts to try and restore its image after the ouster
of the authoritarian ruler in 1997 and the advent of democratic
reform, and has stepped up its efforts ahead of the country's
first direct presidential elections in 2004.