Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Several leaders from Golkar's regional branches have warned party chairman Aburizal Bakrie of the growing opposition from within the party to his intention to become the party's presidential aspirant.

Muntasir Hamid, chairman of the Forum for Golkar's Regency and Municipal Functionaries, said he had received many complaints from fellow functionaries in the regions who were not happy with Aburizal's presidential bid.

Muntasir said the forum had set up a special team to monitor Aburizal's activities including his recent road show to several regions. "Disappointed with the way in which Aburizal leads Golkar, many have expressed their objections to his presidential bid," he told a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.

According to Muntasir, Aburizal recruited incompetent members to sit on the party's executive board following his win in Golkar's 2009 chairmanship race in Pekanbaru, Riau. "Why did he forget the many people who had contributed to the party?" he asked.

Muntasir, who chairs Golkar's municipal chapter in Banda Aceh, said many party members and lawmakers were also disappointed with Aburizal's decision to appoint Setya Novanto as chairman of the Golkar faction at the House of Representatives. They claimed Setya had no leadership capacity. His only achievement, they said, was in organizing the recent celebration of the faction's anniversary.

Abdul Kadir Talessi, chairman of the party's regency chapter on Buru Island, North Maluku, questioned Aburizal's claim that he had secured political support from most functionaries in the 33 provinces and 524 regencies and municipalities.

He said many provincial and regional party functionaries recently went to Aburizal's residence in Menteng, Central Jakarta, not to declare their support for his presidential nomination but to convey their condolences after his mother passed away.

Muntasir and Abdul also questioned Aburizal's move to bring forward a leadership meeting during which he would declare his presidential nomination. They said he would not gain the necessary political support due to the degree of disappointment among local functionaries.

"The sooner the special leadership meeting is held, the sooner Aburizal will meet strong opposition," Muntasir said, adding many Golkar members were ashamed with the party's instruction to Golkar lawmakers to spend Rp 10 million (US$1,090) on bags with Aburizal's picture on them.

The chairman of Golkar's patron board, Akbar Tandjung, also questioned Aburizal's claim of party support for his presidential nomination, adding that this issue had not been discussed by the patron board.

Akbar challenged Aburizal to hold a presidential convention to show whether his nomination won support from the executive board and most provincial and regional chapters. "The internal convention is a democratic tradition the party should maintain to seek its presidential hopeful," he said.

Akbar, Agung Laksono and Jusuf Kalla are three of the many influential figures and many other senior figures who made great contributions to the party but were not given any role.