Kinanti Pinta Karana – Tommy Suharto, the son of former President Suharto, denied in a television interview on Monday that his leadership push for the Golkar Party was a way for his family to get back in the political game. "I'm not a delegate from Cendana [Suharto's family]," Tommy said in an interview broadcast on RCTI.
Suharto's youngest son announced last week that he would officially run as a candidate for Golkar's top post, which is also coveted by heavyweights such as party patron Surya Paloh and Aburizal Bakrie, the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare.
During the interview, Tommy said that he was well aware of the party's view that anyone who wishes to become chairman must be "well nourished," or wealthy.
"I won't say how much [money], but if Golkar does need a building with dozens of floors, I will be prepared," he said, commenting on Bakrie's promise to build a large party headquarters and set up an eternal fund.
Tommy said that he is ready to finance Golkar for the next five years.
"Since the reformation era, Golkar went downhill in the 2004 and 2009 elections. I am worried if nothing is done to improve the party, we might not even reach the electoral treshold at the next election," he said.
Tommy's surprising and sudden comeback to the Indonesian political arena started two weeks ago when he first mentioned his wish to be Golkar chairman. Experts predicted that he was merely "testing the waters" for his oldest sister Sri Hardiyanti Rukmana. However, she denied having any political aspirations.
Tommy promised that if he is elected, he will hold a convention three years before the next presidential election so that the public will know the party's candidate in advance. However, he stated that he had no intention of being a minister or a president.
"I'd rather be in the legislature. I think the core of politics is in the legislature, not with the executives," he added.
Tommy has a controversial past, including a conviction for ordering the July 2001 murder of Supreme Court Justice Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, who convicted him of fraud in 2000.
The fraud conviction was later overturned and though Tommy was convicted of murder in 2002, he was released after serving just four years.
Tommy will be facing a tough competition from Paloh and Bakrie, as well as top legislator Ferry Mursyidan Baldan and young executive Yuddy Chrisnandi, who are also vying for the party's top post. The chairmanship will be decided at Golkar's national congress to be held from Oct. 4-7 in Pekanbaru, Riau.