T

he candidacy of House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie for the Democratic Party chairmanship has been met with strong opposition from camps within the ruling party.

Analysts have predicted that Marzuki could be the front-runner in the upcoming extraordinary party congress slated to be held later this month particularly after garnering support from the loyalists of former party chairman Anas Urbaningrum.

But rivals have argued that Marzuki would not be a suitable candidate for the position given his position as the House speaker and that many other figures would make better candidates than him.

Among Marzuki’s likely rivals in the contest are party secretary general, and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s youngest son, Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono; party deputy secretary-general Saan Mustofa; former party chairman Hadi Utomo; Law and Human Rights Minister and party patron Amir Syamsuddin; East Java Governor and party patron Soekarwo; as well as party executive director Toto Riyanto.

Over the weekend, the names of other politicians began to circulate including Army Chief of Staff, and Yudhoyono’s brother-in-law, Gen. Pramono Edhie Wibowo, outgoing Constitutional Court Chief Justice Mahfud MD, and Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan.

Party deputy secretary general Ramadhan Pohan said on Tuesday he personally preferred Pramono. “He is good at communication, down-to-earth, and strong-willed,” he said. Pramono is expected to retire from the military in June but speculation was rife that he would apply for early retirement should Yudhoyono decide to endorse his candidacy.

Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Minister and party patron Syariefuddin Hasan, who is also a member of the party’s supreme assembly, however said it would be impossible for outsiders to run. “One of the conditions a candidate must meet to be eligible to run is that he or she must have been active as a party member for at least one year,” he said.

Separately, party patron Achmad Mubarok said that Yudhoyono might publicly announce a candidate he backed shortly before the congress, slated for later this month, in a move that could sway the votes of local party leaders. “This won’t be a ‘free market’,” he said.

Many have said this could be the “Plan B” to anticipate the possibility of rejection of Yudhoyono’s plan to appoint a chairman or push for an acclamation.

Commenting on the possibility that Yudhoyono might use his veto to appoint the next party chairman or push for an acclamation, Syariefuddin said, “it’s be a possibility.” Marzuki previously opposed the plan saying that an appointment instead of election would be undemocratic. In response, Syariefuddin said, “if it happened due to the absence of other candidates, that would be considered democratic.”