SBY to attend party congress

Wahyoe Boediwardhana and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Denpasar/Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is expected to step in and settle an ongoing conflict within his Democrat Party, which will elect new leaders at a congress in Bali this week.

Sys Ns, who chairs the congress steering committee, said on Thursday that Susilo would hold a meeting with party leaders and those involved in the dispute prior to the start of the congress.

"He'll talk to the party chairman, the central board members and those from 14 (party) branches currently facing conflict. Let SBY (resolve the problem)," he said in Sanur, Bali.

Susilo, who is scheduled to fly to the United States on May 24 for a working visit, will be present during the three-day congress, which started Friday evening. He co-founded the party in 2001, which during last year's legislative election over 7 percent of seats in the House of Representatives.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who is also the Chairman of the Golkar Party, is also expected to attend the opening of the congress.

According to Sys, the 14 branches of the party had been plagued by conflict due to double leadership of the branches. Each opposing camp claims that they are the ones who should represent the branches during the congress, meaning the right to vote in the election of the party's leaders.

There are 476 legitimate votes from the 443 party branches at the regency level, 32 provincial branches and the party's executive board.

Should those facing conflict refuse the decision made by Susilo during the talk, the right to vote for the party's branches will be annulled, Sys said.

I Gusti Ngurah Narakusuma, a spokesman from the Bali branch of the Democrat Party, said that there will be eight candidates running for the party's top post during the congress.

They are Sys, Hayono Isman, Hamidah Hamid, Nuryati Assegaf, Ahmad Mubarok, Suratto Siswodihardjo, Soekartono Hadiwarsito and Subur Budisantoso, the incumbent leader.

Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso, who has also hinted at putting his name into the hat as well, will also be present. But, Susilo has reportedly told him to become a member of the party's supervisory board instead.

Narakusuma told The Jakarta Post that the congress would also be focused on discussions of the party's program for the next five years and a review of the party's accomplishments.