Salim Osman, Nusa Dua (Bali) – Disgruntled elements opposed to Vice-President Jusuf Kalla's anti-corruption stance or his decision to stand for Golkar's top post could be involved in the case of suspected arsenic poisoning, his aides said.
The discovery of traces of arsenic in a bowl of soup for the Vice-President was a talking point at Golkar's national congress, which began yesterday. Some delegates were shocked.
Bali police said the initial test on the bowl of soup on Wednesday showed traces of arsenic but more tests were needed to confirm the findings. Police declined to say whether they suspected it was an attempt to poison Mr Jusuf as the soup was not believed to contain a fatal dose of arsenic.
"It is suspected to be a very small amount [of arsenic], and we were asked to check it out," a police spokesman told The Associated Press.
Arsenic is a naturally occurring mineral found in soil, bedrock and water that is fatal in high doses. It also is used in rat poison, pesticides and wood preservatives.
Mr Jusuf said he did not think the soup – an Indonesian noodle dish called soto – had been deliberately poisoned. "Maybe the food was out of date or contaminated," he told reporters.
Several employees of the hotel where the Vice-President had a meeting with some Golkar leaders were questioned by the police yesterday, but no arrests have been made.
Mr Jusuf's chief of staff, Mr Alwi Hamu, told The Straits Times that the authorities had no suspect yet. But he believed that the incident could be linked to the Vice-President's hardline stance on corruption and the contest for the top post in Golkar.
"An attempt on his life could have been made by some elements," he said. "Security is not as tight compared to what he gets in Jakarta," he said.
But Mr Hamu was baffled as to why someone should resent Mr Jusuf. "He has the right to offer himself as the next Golkar chairman as he is a party cadre himself. At any rate, the race is among friends. He knows all the contenders well," he said.
Many delegates were disturbed about the episode. But others were cynical. Mr Agus Hutapa, from Jakarta, said the alleged poisoning was a hot topic between breaks at the congress. "Some say it may have been an attempt by his supporters to prop up support for him by gaining sympathy from delegates at the congress," he said.
Others who believe this theory recalled that when President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was given a dressing down by Mr Taufik Kiemas, the husband of then President Megawati Sukarnoputri when he was her security minister, the Indonesian leader's popularity rose as he gained much sympathy. "Are supporters of Mr Jusuf trying to do the same here to gain sympathy?" asked another Golkar member.
The arsenic-poisoning issue came hot on the heels of a leadership contest, where battle lines are clearly drawn between Mr Jusuf and incumbent chairman Akbar Tanjung. Other contenders are thought to have dropped out.
Golkar contenders Surya Paloh, who is a media tycoon, and Parliament Speaker Agung Laksono, who had earlier declared their candidatures, have now joined forces to support Mr Jusuf as the new Golkar chairman.
Mr Akbar, who has led the party since it was reconstituted in 1998, is said to have won over former military chief Wiranto to his side. Two other candidates – Golkar executive Marwah Daud Ibrahim and Slamat Effendy Yusuf – are also in his camp.
With two opposing teams lined up, the lobbying for votes has intensified. With the arsenic poisoning case looming, there is now an added excitement in the contest for the top Golkar post.