Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie said his party remained solid despite heated debate from party cadres during a national meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday evening.

During the meeting, Golkar politicians shouted at each other, debating the urgency of involving the party's board of patrons in selecting nominees for 2014's legislative election. Aburizal, however, said such dynamics were normal within Golkar.

"We intentionally let the public witness the debate to show that we are mature and democratic. We openly discuss our differences," Aburizal said as he closed a meeting that rejected a proposal to involve Golkar's board of patrons in a team to select candidates for the 2014 legislative election. Reportedly, Golkar was shaken by internal rifts following Aburizal's presidential nomination in July.

Although Aburizal managed to calm opposition against his bid for the presidency, rifts within his party were obvious as reflected during the party's meeting on Tuesday.

In the meeting, board of patrons chairman Akbar Tandjung proposed the urgency of involving him and fellow patron board members in selecting candidates applying for seats with Golkar at the House of Representatives.

"The patron board must be involved in a selection team to pick candidates to be parliament members [to ensure quality]," Akbar said.

"The organizational rule mandates the involvement of the patron board in making a 'strategic decision'. Selecting cadres to run in the legislative election is strategic. Therefore, involving us in the selection is legal," said Akbar, a former Golkar chairman.

Akbar's proposal apparently divided the audience, raising warm applause from those cadres who shared the idea while simultaneously stirring shouts from those rejecting the proposal.

Fellow patron board member Abdul Gafur quickly applauded Akbar, saying that the patron board's previous suggestions on different matters had fallen on deaf ears. "I therefore fully support this proposal," he said.

Meanwhile, Andi Sinullingga, who chairs the Golkar Party Young Generation (AMPG), said that the involvement of the board patron in the selection team would help clean the party of corrupt politicians, as well as preventing cadres with criminal records, such drug users, from sitting in parliament.

"We must reject candidates with tainted images because it will further erode public trust in Golkar," Andi said.

However, Akbar and his supporters ultimately had to accept that the majority rejected the proposal. The meeting also agreed to ban cadres with criminal records from running in the upcoming legislative election.

Golkar politician Nurdin Khalid, for example, said that all cadres should have an equal opportunity to apply for any of Golkar's seats at the House, despite their image.

"Do any of the current parliament members have decent moral conduct? I doubt it because the law belongs to those in power. Therefore, we must not limit cadres from running in the legislative election," said Nurdin, a former graft convict.