PDI Perjuangan has sole gubernatorial candidate

PDI Perjuangan has sole gubernatorial candidate

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city chapter of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI Perjuangan) named on Tuesday its chairman Tarmidi Suhardjo
as its sole gubernatorial candidate, but the choice is still
subject to approval from the party's central board.

"We proposed Tarmidi today to the party's central board. We
hope the central board will recommend him as our definitive
gubernatorial candidate," the party's city chapter deputy
chairman Agung Imam Sumanto said.

Agung, who is also the chairman of the party's faction on the
City Council, told reporters that Tarmidi was selected from among
the 11 names who were nominated during the party's city chapter
meeting on Saturday.

Agung said that Tarmidi, the council's deputy chairman, gained
the majority of the votes from the party's six branches at the
meeting.

The 55-year-old Tarmidi, a high school graduate, had earlier
been named as one of three suspects by the Jakarta Prosecutors'
Office for his alleged involvement in a controversial foreign
trip scandal dubbed Ancolgate. He received Rp 50 million
(US$5,700) and US$5,000 from PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol in travel
allowances but did not actually go on the trip.

An outspoken party member, Ugiek Soegihardjo, last week told
reporters that Agung and Tarmidi had told him to "take a break"
after he revealed that he was offered a Rp 20 million bribe by
city-joint venture firm PT Jakarta International Trade Fair
(JITF). Ugiek said that the money was offered to him through
Agung. Both Tarmidi and Agung have denied the accusation.

Agung said on Tuesday that the party's city chapter decided to
propose Tarmidi as he was the only one who had stated his
readiness to be elected.

"Only Tarmidi has submitted a written statement proposing
himself. The others, including myself, were proposed by the
branches," Agung said.

The gubernatorial election, which is being held for the first
time ever, is scheduled for Sept. 17.

Tarmidi defeated the party's other leading candidate, Roy BB
Janis, who is the deputy chairman of the party's central board.

However, the party's executives had earlier said they would
accept it if party chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is also
the country's President, designated another candidate, even if he
was from outside the party.

The executives even hinted at the possibility of their
nominating incumbent Governor Sutiyoso as a candidate if Sutiyoso
committed himself to helping the party during the next general
election in 2004. They said that in such an eventuality the PDI
Perjuangan might nominate Tarmidi for the deputy governorship,
giving him the chance to learn about administration before
replacing Sutiyoso.

The PDI Perjuangan is the largest faction on the council with
30 of the 83 seats. As the vote will be by secret ballot, it is
thought that the PDI Perjuangan's vote might split.

Tarmidi, who was born in Pekalongan, Central Java, has been
active in the party since its establishment in 1996.

In 1999, Tarmidi failed to be elected chairman of the council
as many party councillors gave their votes to Edy Waluyo, a
candidate from the Indonesian Military/Police faction.

In the gubernatorial election, Tarmidi will be competing with
other leading candidates, including Sutiyoso, Deputy Governor for
Social Welfare Affairs Djailani and City Secretary Fauzi Bowo.