M

ounting pressure from its own member and the public has prompted the Golkar Party to finally set a date for its highest-level congress to officially oust embattled chairman Setya Novanto.

The meeting is also slated to install a new chairman to lead the veteran party for the upcoming regional, legislative and presidential elections.

Amid demand from its regional offices, the party will first hold a plenary meeting on Wednesday evening, when members will decide on the date for an Extraordinary Congress (Munaslub).

Acting chairman Idrus Marham is set to lead the plenary, which will decide Golkar’s official stance on Setya, a suspect in the e-ID graft case, and his position.

Golkar would likely have a new leader by the turn of the year should the congress take place this month, according to Golkar deputy secretary-general Muhammad Sarmuji.

“Basically, no cadre should reject the congress. It makes no sense to oppose the congress, because the chairman is [behind bars],” he told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. “But we’ll see what [...] happens tomorrow.”

Efforts to push for a congress reportedly faced resistance from Setya loyalists, who worked to retain his leadership or appoint someone of his choosing as acting chairman. The party is now divided into two groups, comprising those who are pressing for a congress to elect a new chairman, and those who stand against it.

The pressure on Golkar escalated after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested Setya and completed its investigation against him. The senior politician, who has close links to high-level officials, might sit as a defendant in a hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court scheduled for Wednesday.

“We have to be consistent. The congress is a must. The central board has no power to refuse the demands of the DPD O [Golkar’s provincial branches],” said Golkar deputy secretary-general Ace Hasan Syadzily.

“The current chairman no longer has legitimacy,” he added.

Most party cadres are said to be throwing their support behind Industry Minister and Golkar politician Airlangga Hartato, making him the frontrunner in the chairmanship race.

Airlangga has secured majority support from the party’s provincial branches and three of Golkar’s founding organizations, namely Kosgoro, the Golkar Mutual Assistance Families Association (MKGR) and the Central Organization for Indonesian Employees (Soksi).

Idrus has also declared his run for chairman, but has made no maneuvers to gain support.

Setya has tried to retain his grip on the party and his position as House of Representatives speaker, refusing to relinquish power amid his legal case.

Even after tendering his official resignation on Monday, he made the controversial move of appointing loyalist and lawmaker Azis Syamsuddin to replace him as House speaker.

The move was met with resistance, opening the door for Deputy House Speaker Fadli Zon to fill the speakership post until Golkar is able to decide on a more permanent replacement.

Meanwhile, Azis has also declared his readiness to contest for Golkar’s top post. Several party executives, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, have confirmed that Golkar’s advisory board chairman Aburizal Bakrie, along with Setya, support Aziz.

Aburizal is Setya’s predecessor and known as an influential supporter of Prabowo Subianto, Gerindra Party chief patron and President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s main rival in the 2014 presidential election.

Top Golkar officials told the Post that the faction might move to take control of the party, and retract its support of Jokowi in the 2019 presidential election.

Sarmuji said all things related to the House speakership should wait until Golkar had a definitive chairman who would then decide on a speaker.

“Because the House speaker should be in line with the party’s policy, made by the chairman. They must have the same direction. If the party chairman supports the government, then the House speaker must follow,” Sarmuji said.