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fter securing the top position in Golkar, the country’s oldest political party, newly appointed party chairman Setya Novanto is set to maintain control of the party’s faction at the House of Representatives.

He has led the party in the legislature since resigning as House speaker in December, but said he would step down as faction leader to focus on his new responsibilities as party chairman.

“[I] will pick a new faction chairman who shares a similar vision,” he told reporters at the House complex on Thursday, two days after securing the party chairmanship in a contest with current House Speaker Ade Komarudin during a national party congress in Bali.

Setya, who has declared that Golkar will throw its support behind the government and hence leave
the opposition’s so-called Red-and-White Coalition, said that in the first 100 days of his chairmanship he would focus on a complete reconciliation of all party members in the Regional Representative Councils (DPD I and II).

While Setya said he was still undecided about his successor as faction chairman, two people have been named as potential candidates.

Golkar politician Firman Soebagyo said the party had proposed Roem Kono and Aziz Syamsuddin, both known as Setya’s supporters in the chairmanship race, to replace him, considering their experience in the party, their integrity and their capability to lead and control the faction.

“They are also close to Setya, so those two have the greatest chances,” Firman said, acknowledging however that Setya had the final say.

Roem, who chairs the Golkar Mutual Assistance Families Association (MKGR) — one of the founding organizations of Golkar — was Setya’s stalwart during the chairmanship race. He had previously planned to run in the race, but then decided to support Setya instead.

“It all depends on Setya’s decision. I have to be ready for any decision by the party chairman,” is all Roem had to say about his possible role as faction leader.

Aziz, meanwhile, was one of the hopefuls in the chairmanship race, but lost in the first round of voting, receiving only 48 of 554 votes. He is currently a member of House Commission III, which oversees human rights, defense and legal affairs.

Besides reconciliation at the grass roots of the party, Setya said he also wanted to focus on consolidation with the government and was confident about reaching both of those targets within 100 days.

Regarding his controversial past, with his alleged extortion attempt against mining company PT Freeport Indonesia, Setya said he could polish his image and regain the public’s trust within six months.

As Golkar is now part of the government’s camp and plans to endorse Jokowi in the 2019 presidential election, the party may also be preparing names to be proposed for Cabinet posts, as an expected Cabinet reshuffle draws closer, although the President is keeping his cards close to his chest.

Indo Barometer executive director Muhammad Qodari said Golkar might deserve two chairs in the Cabinet and that two names appeared to fit, one being that of party secretary general Idrus Marham.

“The point is that Jokowi will appoint people who can ‘get things done’,” Qodari said.

Qodari suggested Golkar might be able to prevent a further loss of public support in time for the 2017 regional elections and the 2019 presidential election, arguing that Setya was capable of reforming the party and “getting things done”, like Jokowi.

“Golkar will probably garner more votes than it received in the 2014 presidential election.”
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