Central Java governor at odds with deputy on presidential election

Suherdjoko ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Semarang, Central Java   |  Tue, 04/21/2009 3:41 PM  |  National

Central Java Governor Bibit Waluyo, who is a cadre of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), told his deputy that he would not campaign for PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri for the coming presidential election.

The governor was responding to his deputy Rustriningsih, who is also a PDI-P cadre, who said that he had promised to campaign for Megawati. Bibit said he would not campaign for any presidential candidate.

Both Bibit and Rustriningsing were nominated by the PDI-P for their gubernatorial election last July.

“I only reminded Pak Bibit. Politics is abstract, there is no legal guarantee,” Rustriningsih told reporters on Tuesday.

Rustriningsih said that as a fellow party member she had a right to remind Bibit to support the party's chairwoman.

She denied that her political position has affected her duties as deputy governor.

“I know when to stand as a deputy [governor] and when to stand as a party member. Insyaallah (God willing), I can do both,” she said. (dre)
 

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