T

he youngest son of late former president Soeharto has announced he intends to return to politics and is eyeing the Golkar leadership post.

Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra announced his plans Tuesday at a press conference ahead of the party's national congress, which is scheduled for Oct. 4-7 in Pekanbaru, Riau.

"Now is the time for me to return to politics, apart from running my business," Tommy said to Antara news agency Tuesday.

Tommy said he had never quit Golkar, the party that helped his father rule the country for 32 years, and therefore as a loyal member he deserved an opportunity at the top post.

"I have to set the target high, including in politics," he said.

The national congress will elect a new party chairman to replace Jusuf Kalla, who was defeated in the July 8 presidential election.

Also running for the leadership position is Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie, chief patron and media magnate Surya Paloh and lawmakers Ferry Mursyidan Baldan and Yuddy Chrisnandi.

Tommy said that after an absence from politics for more than a decade, he felt compelled to contribute to the party, which has recently suffered a double defeat in both the legislative and presidential elections.

Golkar finished second to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, with only 14 percent of votes in the legislative elections.

After gaining just 12 percent of national votes in the presidential poll, Kalla has hinted he will most likely quit politics.

In 2002, Tommy was sentenced to 15 years in prison by the North Jakarta District Court for the premeditated murder of a Supreme Court judge and illegal possession of firearms. The Supreme Court reduced that term to 10 years in 2002.

Tommy received a 31-month remission before being conditionally released in October 2006, triggering massive public outcry and questioning of government justice.

Golkar requires that any candidate must have held a leadership post at a central or regional executive board and not have been involved in the botched 1965 communist coup.

Party executive Firman Soebagyo said Tommy had never been a party leader at a central or regional level.

"Tommy has never been a central or regional board leader for all I know," he said.

"His Soeharto blood does not mean anything. Golkar is a party of individuals not based on family names."