Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Golkar party officially declared its chairman Jusuf Kalla as presidential candidate to compete in coming election.

The decision was made at the leaders meeting on Thursday attended by 33 head of provincial chapters.

The meeting also gave mandate to Kalla to set up team to seek his potential running mate and coalition with political parties. "I welcome the decision and mandate," Kalla said.

The majority of Golkar Party's provincial chapter leaders had earlier in the day agreed to nominate its own candidate to contest the upcoming presidential election.

"Most of provincial chapters' heads agreed that the party should have its own presidential candidate," deputy secretary general Rully Chairul Azwar said on the sidelines of the meeting at Borobudur Hotel Thursday morning.

The party' executive board members decided on Wednesday to drop a coalition talk with Democratic Party.