After 6 months of talks, MNC boss agrees to join us: Nasdem Party

The country’s top media mogul, Hary Tanoesoedibjo, has joined the newly established Nasdem Party after six months of exhausting talks, party chairman Patrice Rio Capella said on Wednesday.
 
“We eventually concluded that Pak Hary and the Nasdem Party share a similar vision and political views for a better Indonesia. The chemistry has been there for months, even before the party’s declaration in July,” Patrice told The Jakarta Post.
 
He acknowledged Hary’s financial resources and vast media network would be a significant advantage to the party’s bid in the upcoming 2014 elections. “But that is not the main thing … The most important thing is that he is a young and prominent figure who has similar political aspirations to ours,” he said.
 
Hary’s position in the party, however, has not yet been determined, Patrice added.
 
He also refused to reveal how much money Hary had spent to help finance the party. “Our party’s funds come from donations from our members and supporters, including Pak Hary,” Patrice said.
 
Hary is group president and CEO of media corporation Media Nusantara Citra (MNC) Group. MNC businesses include a variety of media sources, from television (RCTI, Global TV, and MNC TV); radio (Sindo Radio); the Internet (okezone.com); tabloids (Genie); newspapers (Seputar Indonesia daily); and magazines (High End).
 
The Nasdem Party is linked to the National Democrat mass organization, which was cofounded by another media mogul Surya Paloh. Surya owns the Media Group, the mother company of Metro TV and Media Indonesia daily.
 
Patrice said Hary’s position in the Nasdem Party would not affect the business concerns of MNC or the Media Group. “The two [companies] have different market segments,” Patrice said.
 
Hary was not available for comment.
 
Arya Mahendra Sinulingga, MNC’s corporate secretary, said he had been informed about Hary’s decision to join the Nasdem Party.