Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Scores of Golkar politicians have questioned the party's seriousness in adopting an open system to determine its legislative candidates for the 2009 election.
The practice of placing Golkar leaders' loyalists or cronies at the top of its list of legislative candidates has increased internal resentment in the country's largest party.
Some Golkar figures said they had heard of discontent and distrust among party members over the list of candidates submitted to the General Elections Commission (KPU). Several even threatened to withdraw their candidacy or quit the party.
Others have said the way the party arranged its legislative list led to doubt over whether Golkar would seriously implement an open system rather than the numerical order mechanism recognized in the 2008 legislative election law.
The open system allows a party to determine its legislative members based on the votes each wins in the election. The numerical order mechanism authorizes the party's central board to appoint loyalists to legislative councils.
Young outspoken Golkar lawmaker Yudhi Chrisnandi decided not to run for reelection in protest after the party placed him fourth on the list of candidates for the Cirebon electoral district in West Java. He said he withdrew his candidacy because he believed that Golkar's open system was a "lie".
"Looking at the education level of our voters, many of them will vote for the party's symbol only. The party will distribute votes for candidates at the top of the list. So the party leaders will pick who they like," Yudhi said.
He demanded the party divide the votes evenly among all candidates if the party did not gain the required number of votes to create a new seat.
"Many members are angry with this list of candidates. Some senior members, who have served the party for 15 years, were sidelined while new people suddenly top the lists. I am questioning if they are better than me," he said.
Golkar deputy secretary-general Rully Chairul Azwar acknowledged that discontent began to spread through the party after its list of legislative candidates was announced.
"But it is normal. We faced a similar problem five years ago and we managed to survive," he said.
Golkar recently decided to shift from the numerical order method to an open system in determining its legislative members after a series of defeats in regional elections and protests by some members against the placement of little-known members in the legislative candidate list.
Rully said those resigning from the list must have realized they would not get enough votes to be elected, citing massive candidacy withdrawals in other parties as an example.
Last week, candidates from the National Mandate Party (PAN), National Awakening Party (PKB) and Democratic Party withdrew their bids for a seat in the legislature, saying they did not want to waste money when it was apparent they would lose.
Golkar recently lost gubernatorial elections in its traditional strongholds, including West Java, North Sumatra, South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, North Maluku, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara.
The latest national surveys by Indo Barometer, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies and the Reform Institute have put Golkar behind the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) going into the 2009 legislative election.