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.