Yuddy Chrisnandi, young politicians join Hanura

The People’s Conscience Party (Hanura) ended its national congress on Sunday with a surprise; it recruited young politicians including outspoken former Golkar politician Yuddy Chrisnandi to join its central board.

Half of 21 members of Hanura’s executive board are now young politicians.

Yuddy, who ran for Golkar’s chairmanship last year was defeated by Aburizal Bakrie. On Sunday he was named Hanura’s chairman for the election campaign team (Bapilu).

“This is not a trouble-free job, because I will have to recruit new party members,” Yuddy said as quoted by Antara news agency on Sunday in Surabaya, East Java.

He said he had not been informed about the post when Hanura chairman Wiranto invited him to join the party.

Young politician Dossy Iskandar, who was also the head of the East Java Hanura branch, won the secretary-general post to replace Yus Usman Sumanegara.

The line up for the executive board included legislator Akbar Faizal, former secretary-general Yus Usman, former legislators Samuel Kotto, Nurdin Tampubolon and actor-cum-lawyer Gusti Randa.

Kotto was a former member of the National Mandate Party (PAN) while A.S. Hikam was formerly a member of the National Awakening Party (PKB).

Prior to the congress, speculation was rife that Surya Paloh, a media mogul who was also the Golkar Party chief patron, would join Hanura following his defeat to Aburizal in the race for the top Golkar post.

Hanura, set up in 2006, managed to gain 14 seats in the House of Representatives in last year’s elections, and 889 of its members won regional councils’ seats in many provinces, regencies and municipalities.

Yuddy was formerly the head of the campaign team for presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla in the 2009 presidential elections.

The duo however came last in the polls, after Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Gen. (ret) Wiranto, who is also formerly a top figure in the Golkar Party, failed to win the party’s ticket for the 2004 presidential elections.

Hanura unanimously re-elected Wiranto its chairman for the coming five years after accepting his accountability report.

Political expert Maswadi Rauf from the University of Indonesia welcomed the inclusion of young politicians and women in Hanura’s executive boards.

“It is a good start for the Hanura party in a bid to attract young voters to join the party in upcoming elections,” Maswadi told The Jakarta Post on Sunday. He said Yuddy should demonstrate his political capacity to lead the party.

“It will be a test for Yuddy as to whether he is suitable for [Hanura] and to prove that Golkar is not for him,” Maswadi said.

Yuddy left the Golkar Party after chairman Aburizal formed a coalition with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, he said.

In his political statement, Wiranto reiterated the party’s stance as the opposition to the government.
“In the Bank Century case, for example, Hanura will avoid political compromises for a certain political goal. “On the other hand, Hanura will not aim to impeach certain top officials. Hanura’s stance is that law enforcement is on top of everything.”