Yogyakarta – A plenary session held by the Golkar Party's Yogyakarta provincial branch on Friday evening decided to propose Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X of Yogyakarta Palace for the party's 2014-2019 vice presidential candidate as the running mate of Aburizal Bakrie.

Branch chairman Gandung Pardiman said the meeting agreed on Javanese ancestry as one of the criteria for the presidential figure, arguing that between 40 and 45 percent of Indonesian voters were Javanese.

"It's not a matter of romanticism," he said, adding that the Sultan was the best son of Java who had proved himself as a figure of a good statesman characteristics.

A member of the House of Representatives Commission V on transport, telecommunications, public works, public housing, village development and disadvantaged areas, Gandung said that his side was looking for the right time to meet the Sultan regarding the matter. He also said the decision would be conveyed to the party's central executive board.

Separately, Golkar Bantul branch chairman Agus Subagyo said that the grassroots had been voicing a desire to have the Sultan move to the national political arena.

He also said that Aburizal Bakrie and the Sultan would form an ideal pair of candidates for the 2014 presidential election as they represented Javanese and non-Javanese people and had good leadership track records. "We are sure they will have a big opportunity to win the election," Agus said.