Nurcholish exit a severe blow for Golkar

A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Golkar party's popularity has been at stake following the withdrawal of noted Muslim intellectual Nurcholish Madjid, popularly known as Cak Nur, from the party's presidential race, say political observers.

Political observer and senior researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) J. Kristiadi told The Jakarta Post here on Thursday that Nurcholish's decision to quit Golkar for his presidential bid was a big loss for the party, which has been struggling to restore its tainted image since 1998.

"To the public, it (Nurcholish's withdrawal) is a confirmation that the convention was merely a ploy," he said.

Nurcholish announced his decision on Wednesday a few hours after Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung had his aides pick up a registration form for the party convention, a move that indicated he intended to contend the first-ever direct presidential election next year.

Golkar is scheduled to hold its convention in February to select its presidential candidate. A number of party figures, including Akbar, have registered for the convention.

"Faced with Nurcholish's withdrawal, Golkar has lost its chance to repair its badly tarnished public image," said Arbi Sanit of the University of Indonesia.

Kristiadi appreciated Nurcholish's move as being the correct one to make. "If he had not withdrawn immediately from the convention, he would have been cut out (of the running) by Golkar as part of its political trickery," he said.

Kristiadi said that Akbar's participation in the convention was proof that Golkar had merely used Nurcholish to try and improve its tainted image, and Golkar was not sincere in supporting Nurcholish.

He said that it was impossible for Nurcholish to win the presidential race, as Akbar was supported by the majority of Golkar chapters.

Golkar has a reputation of being the political bandwagon of former president Soeharto's 32-year authoritarian and corrupt New Order regime.

"Nurcholish should have known from the beginning that it is impossible for Golkar and Akbar, who has been building the party for years, to render power to outsiders who will fight for outsiders (if the party wins the elections)," said Kristiadi.

Akbar claimed that Nurcholish's withdrawal from Golkar's presidential bid would not affect the convention, as it had been organized to run transparently and fairly.

"Everybody is free to join the convention," he said, adding, however, that he regretted Cak Nur's departure.

Many Golkar figures have frequently called on the party not to support Akbar's presidential aspirations, for the sake of the party.

Akbar has been sentenced three years' imprisonment for his involvement in a Rp 40 billion graft case. He is free pending a Supreme Court decision on his second appeal; his first appeal to the High Court was turned down.

Although the Presidential Election Law permits those with a maximum five-year sentence to run, the verdict is actually a political hindrance for Akbar's presidential bid.

Former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, founder and chairman of the board of the National Awakening Party (PKB), praised Nurcholish's move, saying that the scholar had maintained his role as "the moral guru of the nation."

"Nurcholish has taught us how to play high politics, while still maintaining credibility and morality in building our democracy," said Gus Dur.

Nurcholish said that despite his decision, he was still considering the presidency through other political parties.

He said several political figures and at least five political parties had expressed their interest in supporting him for the presidency.

Political observer Indria Samego suggested Nurcholish pick reformist parties as his political vehicle, such as the Ryaas Rasyid-led Democratic Nationalist Party (PDK) or the Sjahrir-led New Indonesia Alliance Party (PIB).

"Choosing one of the reformist parties will improve Cak Nur's popularity among the people," he said.