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Bahlil has majority regional support for chairmanship bid: Golkar official
Golkar's advisory board chair has said that Bahlil Lahadalia has emerged as the front-runner in the party's race to find a new chairman by garnering the support of its regional chap
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Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia (left) speaks with Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto on Aug. 12, 2024 during a ministerial visit to a lake in Nusantara, the nation’s future capital under construction in East Kalimantan. (Antara/Sigid Kurniawan)
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senior Golkar Party official says Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia has garnered enough support from the party’s regional chapters to be elected the new chairman, following the abrupt departure of Airlangga Hartarto.
Airlangga announced on Sunday that he was stepping down as party chair, citing a need to “maintain Golkar’s integrity” to ensure a stable government transition in the lead-up to the inauguration of Prabowo Subianto as president in October.
The announcement came as a surprise to the party’s central board, especially given that Airlangga’s chairmanship was to end in December and he was in a strong position to seek reelection at a national congress by the year’s end.
After Airlangga’s surprise resignation, Bahlil has emerged as the leading contender for Golkar’s top post ahead of an extraordinary congress (Munaslub) by late August.
Idrus Marham, who chairs the Golkar's election team advisory board, said on Tuesday that party’s regional executive boards (DPDs) in 34 provinces had sent a letter declaring their support for Bahlil.
“They see Bahlil as a figure that can unite [all party members]. He also often communicates with grassroots members,” Idrus said, as quoted by Antara.
He added that Bahlil met all requirements to be elected as the party’s next chairman, including a previous stint as a Golkar DPD member, as he had been appointed to the party’s Papua DPD in 2009.
