There's high drama in Bali at the annual conference of the powerful political party Golkar. Indonesian police have confirmed they're investigating a possible attempt to poison the Vice President Yusuf Kalla, whose attending the conference and is standing for its leadership. An analysis is underway of chicken soup served to the Vice President which is suspected of containing a substance believed to be arsenic. The tests results wont be available for another week. The news comes as nothing less than a pitched battle gets underway for the Golkar leadership amid moves to topple Chairman Akbar Tanjung.
Presenter/Interviewer: Karon Snowdon
Speakers: Bara Hasibuan, Political Commentator with Puri Consultancy; Fahmi Idris, Manpower Minister and former Deputy Chair of Golkar.
Snowdown: This year's Golkar conference promised drama enough. It has a determined Akbar Tanjung fighting for his political life. The outcome could have a bearing on the legislative success or failure of the new government. His main challenger, the country's Vice President, millionaire Jusuf Kalla, is himself facing criticism for running for the Party leadership while holding high political office. And there's no love lost between the two men. Mr Tanjung tried to throw Jusuf Kalla out of Golkar during the recent presidential election campaign because of his decision to run as Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's running mate against the Golkar candidate. Mr Tanjung failed to secure Golkar's endorsement to run as its candidate himself – that honour went to former general Wiranto, who lost in the first round. Akbar Tanjung then threw the party's weight behind the unsucessful re-election campaign of President Megawati Sukarnoputri – that's the main factor being held against him. He was also convicted but had overturned on appeal a charge of misusing of government funds meant for the poor. Political commentator Bara Hasibuan says his chances of retaining power in Golkar are slim.
Asibuan: I think there's a growing consensus within Golkar itself that there has to be a change at the top if the party wants to survive the next five years, there has to be a change at the top.
Snowdown: Along with the military, Golkar was the power behind the throne of former dictator Suharto, toppled under popular pressure in 1998. Unlike the Suharto family, Golkar survived, taking the majority of seats in April's parliamentary elections, where it sits as a form of opposition to the government of President Yudhoyono with the potential to derail much of his proposed reforms. Bara Hasibuan says that's the main driver, along with personal ambition, behind the Vice President's bid.
Asibuan: If he gets electewd he will turn Golkar into a ruling party of some sort, a party that supports the government.
Snowdown: And will it shore up usuf Kalla's own ambitions if he has them to run as Prsedient in ffuture himself?
Asibuan: You don't have to be a political genius to conclude that. If he wins it will pave the way for his own presidential candidacy in 2009.
Snowdown: Golkar split into factions during the presidential elections and wasn't able as in the past to direct mass votes to its candidates. Fahmi Idris is another of those Tanjung tried to purge. A former deputy Chair of Golkar, Fahmi Idris was among the so-called reform group which supported the Yudhoyono/Kalla presidential team. He's now a minister in the SBY Cabinet and is supporting Jusuf Kalla's bid for the Golkar Chairmanship. He says new leadership is needed to democratise and reform the Party.
Idris: Akbar lets say has done his job quite well. But if you have not a good image its quite difficult for you if you want to improve the image of the party.
Snowdown: If Golkar is to reform does that mean attacking things like money politics which it must be said is still rife within the party?
Idris: Yeah, that's another lets say serious problem that should be solved .
Asibuan: If the purpose of getting rid of Pak Akbar Tanjung is to lay down the foundation for reform then I think we should support it. But I don't see any strong reform movement within Golkar over the last few years.
Snowdown: A Kalla win is not a foregone conclusion. It could be said the most predictable aspect of Indonesian politics is unpredictability. Failed Presidential candidate Wiranto is thought to be forming an alliance with his former adversary, Akbar Tanjung to keep the party out of Jusuf Kalla's control. The conference runs over five days. As to the suspected attempted poisoning of the Vice President, arsenic appeared as the poison of choice in another mystery still being investigated. the recent suspected murder of democracy champion Munir, while he was travelling to the Netherlands.