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Rival camps prepare chief candidates
With Golkar Party leader Aburizal Bakrie having declared he will abstain from the chairmanship race at a mooted national congress, the partyâs two rival camps have begun to search for alternative candidates to contest Golkar leadership
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ith Golkar Party leader Aburizal Bakrie having declared he will abstain from the chairmanship race at a mooted national congress, the party's two rival camps have begun to search for alternative candidates to contest Golkar leadership.
Aburizal, whose attempts to lock down the top spot have seen the party embroiled in civil war for over a year, has finally agreed to step down and make way for new blood.
On the sidelines of the party's national leadership meeting on Saturday evening, Aburizal said that he would not run for chairman in the upcoming extraordinary national congress (Munaslub).
While the congress will not take place until later this year, his announcement prompted instant speculation over potential replacement candidates on the second day of the leadership meeting
on Sunday.
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Aburizal, whose attempts to lock down the top spot have seen the party embroiled in civil war for over a year, has finally agreed to step down and make way for new blood.
Aburizal partisan Mahyudin said that the camp would accept the advice of former president BJ Habibie, a member of a transition team established to pave the way for the congress, to seek a chairman between 40 and 60 years old and with proven leadership skills.
According to Mahyudin, the Aburizal camp will nominate senior and major figures from the group's committee, including secretary-general Idrus Marham, central executive board deputy chairman Nurdin Halid, House of Representatives Speaker Ade Komarudin and House Commission III chairman Aziz Syamsuddin.
'Many Golkar politicians are eligible and have outstanding leadership skills. Let's see what happens,' Mahyudin said on Sunday, adding that the party's primary concern was the smooth running of the
congress.
The opposing camp led by Agung Laksono, however, remains sceptical over the planned congress, in light of apparent government plans to aid the Aburizal camp in preparing for it.
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan and Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly attended Saturday's meeting, at which Aburizal announced the planned congress.
Agung supporter Ace Hasan Syadzily called instead for a congress held jointly by the two factions under the guidance of the transition team, though he noted that Agung's camp also included figures eligible to contest the chairmanship, namely Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, Priyo Budi Santoso, Agun Gunanjar Sudarsa, Airlangga Hartarto and Zainuddin Amali. All are in their 40s and 50s.
Agus, the son of transition team member Ginandjar Kartasasmita, is a legislator, while Priyo is a stalwart and current deputy chairman of Agung's pro-government camp.
Agun is a party negotiator and currently chairs House Commission II overseeing home affairs, while Zainuddin serves as the Agung camp's secretary-general.
'However, we will focus first on how to bring the two rival camps together to hold a transparent and accountable national congress, which will be hosted by the transition team,' Ace said.
Representing Agung's camp, Priyo said he appreciated what he called Aburizal's change of stance on Saturday.
'We do appreciate his statement and change of stance. We hope a fair and democratic Munaslub can be held,' he said.
Sunday's session of the leadership meeting saw input from members of Golkar's provincial executive boards. Internal party rules state that a Munaslub can be held only if two-thirds of the party's provincial executive boards consent to the extraordinary congress.
