Nurcholish seeks presidential ticket from Golkar Party

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid expressed on Monday his readiness to participate in the upcoming Golkar Party convention, an arena to select the party's candidate for next year's presidential election.

Nurcholish, popularly known as Cak Nur, said his readiness to take part in the convention was due to the fact that the party had agreed to accept his proposed 10-point platform.

"My decision is a consequence of Golkar's acceptance of the platform I offered to Golkar leaders and supporters a few moments ago," he said on Monday.

"Besides, I do not want to lose a ticket to participate in the convention."

Nurcholish also praised the preliminary convention to be held by Golkar, slated for Thursday. The grand convention will be held early next year.

"Through the convention, recruitment of leaders particularly those to be nominated for next year's general elections, is a bottom-up process. It is a universal principle of democracy," he said.

Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung said as Nurcholish had expressed his readiness to participate in Golkar's convention, he could not be nominated as a presidential candidate by other parties.

"If Golkar nominates Cak Nur, of course other parties cannot nominate him. If he participates in our convention, he must stick to Golkar. That is the rule of our convention," Akbar said as quoted by Antara.

Akbar, also Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR), hinted that Nurcholish's participation in the party's convention had received support from several Golkar provincial chapters (DPDs).

In the convention, Nurcholish will compete with other presidential candidates including incumbent Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla, Yogyakarta governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, and media magnate Surya Paloh.

Golkar will present its presidential candidates in the party's national meeting in Makassar, South Sulawesi, early next month. The candidates will deliver their vision and agenda for the country's future development.

In February next year, Golkar plans to hold a national convention to choose its presidential candidate.

Early this year, Nurcholish announced his intention to run for the presidency in 2004, offering a platform which is aimed at rebuilding the nation through the principles of democracy.

Good governance, consistent law enforcement, and national reconciliation, were Nurcholish's top three priorities.

He also proposed economic reform through production activities that involve as many poor people as possible.

Civilians, particularly the press and the academic community, would be entitled to freedom, while the clear-cut division of labor between the executive, legislature and judicial powers must be complied with, he said.

He also noted that national defense and security should be developed within the framework of democracy.

He maintained that national unity could be preserved through a cultural approach and the recognition of pluralism and regional autonomy, instead of the use of military force.

The last three main goals of his platform are to expand the coverage of national education and raise its quality, to realize social justice and to take an initiative in building world peace.

Besides Golkar Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB) is also considering nominating Nurcholish as its presidential candidate.