Golkar accepts Kalla’s accountability; Aburizal frontrunner

Rizal Harahap and Hyginus Hardoyo ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Pekanbaru, Riau   |  Wed, 10/07/2009 9:31 AM  |  Headlines

The Golkar Party broadly accepted party chairman Jusuf Kalla's accountability during the 2004-2009 term, as Aburizal Bakrie looked set to lead the race for new chairmanship, at the party’s national congress here Tuesday.

Representatives from all of the 33 provincial branches and 10 affiliated organizations expressed their acceptance in their presentation of general views on Kalla’s leadership, although some noted problems the party was facing under the outgoing Vice President.

“All 33 provincial branches and the 10 organizations accepted [Kalla's accountability]. Many accepted fully and a handful of others gave notes,” Golkar deputy chairman Agung Laksono said after the acceptance speeches.

Zainal Bintang, an executive of the party’s central board, shared Agung’s remarks, saying, “All provincial branch executives even thanked Kalla for his leadership.”

Zainal further said that Kalla had admitted he had failed in the recent general elections.

The party had won the 2004 election with 22 percent of votes, but slipped back to second place with just under 15 percent of votes, behind President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, which won more than 20 percent.

The presentation of the general views on Kalla’s accountability was also utilized by executives of the provincial branches to voice support for candidates for Golkar chairmanship, with Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie gaining most support.

Representatives from Riau, West Papua, North Sulawesi, North Maluku, Central Kalimantan, Riau Islands, East Kalimantan, West Sulawesi, Bali, Maluku and Bengkulu, as well as organizations under Golkar including MDI, AMPI, KPPG, Kosgoro and MKGR, had shown their support for Aburizal, Zainal said.

Representatives of four provincial branches — North Sumatra, West Java, Aceh and West Kalimantan — declared support for media mogul Surya Paloh.

It was not clear if there was any support for the two other candidates — former president Soeharto’s son Hutama “Tommy” Mandala Putra and legislator Yuddy Chrisnandi.

Others from Banten, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sumatra, East Java, South Sulawesi and Soksi were expected to declare their support for their candidates in the next session.

“But the open support from the provincial branches and 10 organizations does not represent the real support for the candidates because it is regency-level support that counts. Most votes comes from regency branches because there are hundreds of them,” Zainal said.

Separately the President on Tuesday took issue with Kalla's opening address who had said that Golkar should be in the opposition, and that it had never "begged" for power.

"Those in the opposition and in government are equally dignified," SBY said, adding he hoped Golkar's congress went smoothly.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.