Jakarta – In advance of a national meeting, Golkar Party leaders have voiced support for chairman Aburizal "Ical" Bakrie as the party's sole candidate for the 2014 presidential race.

"Based on a recent survey conducted by the Indonesian Circle Institute (LSI), owned by Yudi Latif, there are five feasible presidential candidates, including Pak Ical," party secretary-general Idrus Marham told a press conference on Tuesday.

He said that Aburizal might delay the declaration of his candidacy until 2012 despite other party icons, such as former vice president Jusuf Kalla and former Golkar chairman Akbar Tanjung, being ready to support him.

Golkar politician Indra J. Piliang told The Jakarta Post that the support for Ical had arisen from regional party branches.

"Since the previous regional executive board meetings in Bali and Balikpapan, they have made a decision to support the party's chairman Aburizal Bakrie as presidential candidate with Indonesian Army chief Gen. Pramono Edhie Wibowo as his partner," Indra said.

He added that Aburizal's supporters were now planning to gather agreement from other plausible candidates, such as Kalla and Akbar Tanjung.

A well-known businessman, once dubbed as one of the richest men in Southeast Asia, Aburizal has been the party's chairman since 2009.

Rumored as the man behind the victory of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono over Golkar's Jusuf Kalla in the 2009 presidential race, Aburizal has brought his party close to power by joining the President's ruling coalition.

As the support for Aburizal increased, the party's deputy chairman Syarif Cicip Sutardjo said that the party would talk about the presidential candidacy at the National Leaders Meeting, which will start today in Jakarta.

"We will talk about many things including Golkar's next presidential candidate," said Syarif, who was recently appointed Maritime Affairs and Fisheries minister.

Syarif said that the party not only intended to determine its presidential candidate but also aimed to win the next presidential election.

Idrus said that the leaders meeting had the same authority as the national meeting (Munas), to make decisions. He promised that, at the latest, the party would announce its official candidates for the presidential race in 2012.

Golkar Party legislator Ibnu Munzir told the Post that previously the party's choice of presidential candidates was determined at the National Leaders Meeting. "The survey circulating among the public will be given rational consideration," he said.

Separately, another Golkar Party deputy chairman Agung Laksono confirmed that Ical would step forward as presidential candidate. "I've heard that almost all of the DPDs intend to propose Aburizal as the presidential candidate, and it will be announced at this year's National Leaders Meeting," Agung said.

He said that Aburizal personally wanted the meeting to suspend discussion on presidential candidates, but he would accept the strong desire at regional level to talk about the matter.

"I think we can confirm that Pak Ical will be Golkar's presidential candidate but we can't be sure whether it will be announced this year or next year," Agung said. (rpt)