Kalla to compete with SBY in presidential race

Adianto P. Simamora ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 04/22/2009 12:40 PM  |  Election 2009

Golkar confidence: Golkar Party chairman Jusuf Kalla (center) poses with party executives before a closed meeting at the party’s central office on Wednesday morning. Antara/Spt

The Golkar Party has given its mandate to chairman Jusuf Kalla to build a coalition with other political parties promoting him as a presidential candidate in the upcoming election.

"Golkar will promote Kalla for president," said Zainal Bintang, head of the Golkar party's division on labor and transmigration, on Wednesday.

He said the decision would be distributed to heads of the party's provincial chapters in the plenary meeting on Thursday.

After weeks of intensive talks, Golkar and the Democrat Party failed to reach agreement on a coalition, ending the plan to pair Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla in the upcoming presidential election. 

Golkar announced the result of negotiation talks between the teams from the parties.
"The talks on the coalition with the Democrat Party have collapsed," said Seomarsono, secretary-general of Golkar, told the press conference.

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