Golkar to screen election candidates

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 06/30/2008 10:50 AM  |  National

Any person applying for support from Golkar to contest direct local elections will have to undergo a fit-and-proper test, the party announced Saturday.

The decision to select candidates for the elections of regents, mayors and governors through fit-and-proper tests was made in Golkar's national leadership meeting here Saturday.

Golkar head of membership and cadre formation organization Syamsul Mu'arif said the move was to prevent further defeat of Golkar candidates in regional elections.

The meeting was held partly to evaluate the reasons behind a series of Golkar defeats in regional elections across the country.

Its latest defeats were in the recent gubernatorial elections in Central Java, West Java and North Sumatra.

Golkar, the biggest faction in the House of Representatives, has so far used survey results to test public support for its hopefuls before choosing them as party candidates for local elections.

Syamsul said that with the early implementation of the survey method, which was first adopted in 2004, Golkar had won many elections it contested around the country.

However, since other parties had also started using similar surveys to select their candidates, Golkar had seen its winning record decline, he said.

"We will make changes to our procedures in nominating candidates for local elections," Syamsul was quoted by Antara as saying before the meeting.

"The changes will include adopting a fit-and-proper test for candidates apart from using survey results."

He said the fit-and-proper test would include considerations such as "funding preparations" on the part of candidates, their vision and mission as well as their loyalty to Golkar and their would-be running mates.

"In the past a candidate and his/her running mate were separate, now we want it in one package," Syamsul said.

Golkar chairman and Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who led the meeting, said nationally his party had won 42 percent of the country's regency/municipal and gubernatorial elections.

He said many Golkar candidates had also won elections with support from other parties, for which he expressed his gratitude.

"The Golkar party thanks other parties for selecting our cadres as their candidates in local administration head elections," Kalla said.

During the meeting, Golkar also discussed the House of Representatives' decision Tuesday to conduct an inquiry into the government's decision to increase fuel prices.

Golkar and the Democratic Party, founded by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, rejected a petition for such an inquiry by the House.

However, the two parties lost the vote on the issue, as it was supported by most factions in the legislature.

Kalla said that despite opposing the inquiry decision, Golkar would see it from its "positive side".

He said it was fine if the right to an inquiry was used to push for an increase in the country's oil production and uncover malfeasance in the energy industry, including mafia-like practices.

"Everything that needs enhancement, we will do together. But with regard to the fuel price rise policy, our (Golkar) stance is already clear," Kalla said.

"The (fuel price) rise has been introduced in line with the law."

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