APSN | Golkar looks to outsiders for presidential nominee

Straits Times - May 7, 2003

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Three tycoons, two former generals, a revered Javanese sultan and an icon for religious tolerance – these are some of the men whose names are in circulation for the coveted post of the presidential nominee for Golkar, Indonesia's second-largest political party.

And they all have one thing in common: They are – relatively speaking – party outsiders. With Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung sentenced to three years' jail for corruption, pending an appeal to the Supreme Court, the party is having to fall back on an outsider for the elections in April next year.

But the top nominees will first have to vie for support from Golkar's leadership at an unprecedented party convention in February. During the convention, 528 party officials will elect the candidate who will run for the country's first direct presidential elections.

Golkar officials say they will shortlist the nominees to five people in a "pre-convention" in October. But with only five months to go before the selection process begins, the presidential aspirants have started doing the rounds to win support.

With 95 per cent of the votes in the convention coming from party leaders at the provincial and township levels, they have been going on cross-country trips to court voters.

One of them is businessman Surya Paloh, who owns Media Indonesia daily, the all-news TV channel Metro TV and a string of hotels and industrial catering firms. Aside from his business success, he is capitalising on his being a native of Aceh, the devoutly Muslim province that has been torn apart by separatism, and is promising to persuade the Acehnese to remain a part of Indonesia.

Mr Surya has the resources as well as connections to bankroll his campaign, but so does business tycoon Aburizal Bakrie of the diversified group Bakrie and Brothers, who has promised to focus his campaign on economic recovery.

But businessman-turned- Cabinet Minister Yusuf Kalla has an edge over them with his relative success in brokering peace deals between warring Christian and Muslim groups in Maluku and Poso, Central Sulawesi. His biggest asset is his prominence in eastern Indonesia, Golkar's traditional stronghold, where his business group Bukaka is dominant.

But noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid is tipped as the leading candidate. Known for advocating religious tolerance and criticising the politicisation of Islam in the country, the United States-educated scholar is seen as the most pro-reform of all the candidates.

At least three parties – Golkar, the Nation Awakening Party and the Islamic-based Justice Welfare Party – have named him as their possible candidate.

Disgraced former military chief Wiranto, Transport Minister Agum Gumelar, also a retired general, and Yogyakarta Sultan Hamengkubuwono X have also been tipped as possible candidates.

Party insiders say it is too early to tell who is the likely winner.

Top five contenders:

Nurcholish Madjid: Muslim scholar.

Strength: Mr Clean track record; pro-reform; supported by mainstream Muslims and the minorities.

Weakness: Political leadership largely untested.

Yusuf Kalla: Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare.

Strength: Has been able to bring semblance of peace in the hot spots of Maluku and Poso.

Weakness: Political skills untested.

Surya Paloh: Media icon.

Strength: Owns leading Media Indonesia daily and the only all-news station Metro TV. Hails from the separatist province of Aceh.

Weakness: Had business links to the family of former president Suharto.

Agum Gumelar: Transport Minister, retired general.