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Jokowi to open Golkar congress on Saturday
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United? – Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie (right), accompanied by his deputy, Agung Laksono, talks at an internal meeting at the party’s central executive board headquarters in Jakarta on April 7. (Antara/-)
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is scheduled to open the Golkar Party’s national congress in Bali on Saturday, an organizing official says.
The main item on the agenda, the election of a new party chairman to replace Aburizal Bakrie, would be attended by some 3,600 participants from across the country, the congress's public relations coordinator Meutya Hafidz said on Thursday.
“When the election of the party chairman and the closing ceremony will be held depends on the situation during the congress,” she said, adding that the congress could be extended if participants needed more time to discuss important issues.
The steering committee of the congress has announced the chairman candidates: House of Representatives Speaker Ade Komarudin, former House speaker Setya Novanto, lawmaker Airlangga Hartarto, deputy chairman of People's Consultative Assembly Mahyudin, former deputy House speaker Priyo Budi Santoso, lawmaker Azis Syamsuddin, businessman Indra Bambang Utoyo and South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo.
But, according to a source at the congress, only two candidates have strong support from congress participants: Ade and Setya.
Political analysts have said that each of those two candidates was close to different persons in the government. Ade is reportedly close to Vice President Jusuf Kalla, while Stetya reportedly has a link to Jokowi through Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan.
The State Palace has denied such speculation. (bbn)
