Wiranto's team works out differences

Wiranto's team works out differences

Kurniawan Hari and Ridwan Max Sidjabat, Jakarta

Members of the campaign team for Gen. (ret) Wiranto and cleric
Solahuddin Wahid are still struggling to match their thoughts and
behavior as the one-month campaigning period kicks off on
Tuesday.

This is because the members come from three different groups:
Wiranto's "Imperium" team, named after the hotel where they are
based, the National Awakening Party (PKB) and Golkar itself.

"We need to understand each other and to adapt to the habits
of the team members," campaign team deputy secretary Rully
Chairul Azwar told The Jakarta Post last night.

He attributed the relatively late process to the pairing of
Wiranto and Solahuddin being made official as recently as May 11
and support from PKB coming only last week.

Rully added that solidity within Golkar -- from the central
board to the regional branches -- had contributed to preparations
for the campaign.

Training for campaigners concluded here on Monday after
earlier sessions in Jakarta and Solo, Central Java.

Theo L. Sambuaga, deputy chairman of Wiranto's campaign team,
said that the Golkar and PKB teams were ready to retain their
respective supporters and also win over swing voters.

He said there were 1,000 campaigners at a national level,
about 300 in the provinces and around 200 at the regental level.

Theo said the campaign team's target was to win at least 36
percent of the vote in the first round if Wiranto and his running
mate could not win a single majority, adding, "this will be a
strong basis for the duo to win the second round".

Rully added that the campaign team was still raising funds
from businesspeople and supporters, as many team members in the
regions had refused to dig into their own pockets.

Profile of some Golkar campaign team members

Slamet Effendy Yusuf (chairman)

- A deputy chairman of Golkar, he formerly led Ansor, a youth
wing of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muslim mass organization for two
terms, from 1985 through 1995. This facilitated his entry into
the inner circle of PKB, whose members are mainly from the NU.

Lt. Gen. (ret) Fachrul Razi (deputy chairman)

- Born in Aceh in 1947, he last served in the military as chief
of general affairs in 1998.

Mahfud MD (deputy chairman

- A deputy chairman of PKB, Mahfud was defense minister in the
Cabinet of president Abdurrahman Wahid. Earlier he lectured in
law at the Indonesian Islamic University in Yogyakarta.

Fahmi Idris (coordinator for Sumatra)

- A deputy chairman of Golkar, he was a manpower minister in the
above Cabinet. The director of PT Kodel is also active in the
Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN).

Theo L. Sambuaga (media coordinator)

- Also a deputy chairman of Golkar, he was minister for people's
housing and settlement, also under Abdurrahman. He was secretary
general of the Indonesian Youth National Committee (KNPI) and
chairman of the Indonesian Reform Youth Front (AMPI).