Susilo set to head new party

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono looks set to join and eventually head a new political party, which could help bring greater exposure if the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs decides to run for president in 2004.

Former Golkar politician Bambang W. Suharto on Thursday said he is in the closing stages of setting up the party, to be called the Democratic Party.

Bambang, currently a member of the National Commission on Human Rights, claimed that Susilo was intensely consulted in talks to set up the party and would eventually be offered the chairmanship after its first congress later this year.

"During our preparations to establish the party, we often held consultations with Pak Bambang," he said.

"Our party is recruiting members, mostly academics that include former minister of justice and human rights Muladi along with Muslim clerics from various Islamic boarding schools across the nation."

The current set scenario is the party would be officially declared on May 12 with former University of Indonesia rector Asman Budi Santoso as its chairman.

The party would consolidate forces and hold its congress in October at which time party executives would "offer" the chair to Susilo.

Asked why the party would take such a tedious route if Susilo was the man they had in mind in the first place, Bambang replied that Susilo "is currently busy with state duties and other activities as the President's aid."

"He once told us he (for now) prefers to be more focused on his daily job. Nevertheless we will still keep on asking suggestions from him," Bambang, who himself intends to be the new party's deputy chairman, said.

When asked if the party had any immediate plans to campaign for Susilo as a possible presidential candidate, Bambang with a big smile replied: "No...not yet."

Bambang's comments contradict those of Susilo who just two- days earlier denied having plans to join a political party.

Susilo, a retired honorary four-star general, is currently not officially affiliated with any party.

Speaking to reporters at a snap media briefing, Bambang said the new party would run on a "nationalist-religious" platform.