Vice President Jusuf Kalla has reaffirmed his bid for the presidency and set himself up as serious competition for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, claiming he is a leader who can do more for Indonesia than the current administration has achieved.
Speaking to thousands of Golkar Party supporters and village heads gathered for a rally here Sunday, Kalla said the Yudhoyono administration had done a lot of good for the nation, but added he was ready to steer the country to a better future.
“The government of SBY and JK is fairly OK, but I can perform better and move quicker in determining the course of change,” said Kalla, also the head of the Golkar Party.
Earlier, Golkar’s regional branches in South and West Sulawesi read out statements confirming their support for Kalla’s quest for presidency as the head of their party.
“I have always followed good intentions. I want the people of Indonesia to live in peace and
feel secure when doing business,” Kalla, a former businessman, said to the applause of party supporters.
“A leader does not only need popularity, but sometimes criticism as well. The most important thing, however, is good intentions.”
A political party needs to win at least 112 House of Representatives seats, or 25 percent of popular votes, in the legislative election in April to be eligible to contest the presidential election in July.
Golkar will officially announce its presidential candidate after the legislative election.
Kalla stated his readiness to run for presidency on Feb. 20 following a show of support from the heads of Golkar provincial branches.
He told Golkar constituents Sunday to work hard to notch up a back-to-back win in the legislative election.
In 2004 the party won the most votes at the expense of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, which saw a significant reduction in support.
In a meeting with Golkar members across Central Java in Semarang on Saturday, Golkar chief advisor Surya Paloh said Kalla would contest the presidential election without having to sacrifice his vice presidential duties.
Surya said other Golkar members were welcome to run for presidency, but had to follow the rules and regulations.
He was referring to Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and House lawmakers
Yuddy Chrisnandi and Marwah Daud Ibrahim, who have publicly announced their desire to run for the presidency.
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