PKB officials pledge to back Wiranto's bid

M. Taufiqurrahman and Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Surabaya

Thirty provincial chapters of the National Awakening Party (PKB) pledged on Saturday to support the decision of the party's central executive board to endorse Gen. (ret) Wiranto for president.

The direct election is scheduled for July 5.

PKB executive board member Mahfud M.D. said that provincial chapters had unanimously endorsed Wiranto and his running mate Solahuddin Wahid in the race and had agreed to throw their weight behind the campaign.

"As a consequence, the provincial chapters have also agreed to support the presidential campaign of the Wiranto-Solahuddin ticket. They will soon form campaign teams in respective provinces," Mahfud told The Jakarta Post in a telephone interview.

Mahfud said that the support was given only after provincial chapters were allowed to air a barrage of criticism over the executive board's decision.

"Members of the provincial chapters asked why the executive board did not consult with them before making a decision on Wiranto. They also asked what the political motivation was," Mahfud said.

In addition to Mahfud, PKB chairman Alwi Shihab and executive member Muhaimin Iskandar presided over the meeting.

Minutes after the meeting, PKB's cofounder Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, arrived with his younger brother Solahuddin and Wiranto, at the hotel in Senayan where the meeting took place to brief representatives from the provincial chapters.

None of East Java provincial chapter representatives were in attendance at the meeting.

The provincial chapters have adamantly promoted Wiranto's cause in the PKB.

In a plenary session on Wednesday, the PKB executive board unanimously decided to fully support Solahuddin and Wiranto.

The decision, however, was made without a clear endorsement from Gus Dur, as he had earlier pledged to abstain in the July 5 polls in protest over the General Elections Commission (KPU)'s decision to disqualify him from the race.

Separately, PKB secretary general Saifullah Yusuf said that Gus Dur as part of the party, had to be in agreement with the endorsement of Wiranto.

"The decision to support Wiranto was made via legitimate party mechanisms, and all PKB members should abide by it," Saifullah said.

In Surabaya, East Java, the PKB provincial chapter set up on Saturday a campaign team for the Wiranto-Solahuddin bid.

PKB provincial leader Choirul Anam will be the chairman of the campaign team, after Golkar Party provincial chapters agreed to appoint him.

Golkar's chapter previously agreed to give the PKB full control of the presidential campaign in one of the party's stronghold areas, such as East Java.