Jakarta – Media mogul Hary Tanoesoedibjo's decision to join the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) has renewed hopes for the party and the presidential ambitions of its chairman, Gen. (ret) Wiranto.

Analysts said that Wiranto, who was formerly the chief of the Indonesian Military (TNI), would have unprecedented access to the airwaves in the run-up to the election in 2014. Wiranto will also likely benefit from a host of supporters who will follow Hary to Hanura from the NasDem Party, from which he resigned.

"Wiranto has been obsessed with becoming the nation's president," Siti Zuhro, a political analyst from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday. "Hary is believed to be able to help Wiranto gain more votes by harnessing his power in the media."

Hary told reporters that his decision to join Hanura had been carefully weighed. "Since resigning from NasDem in January, I have been thinking about a number of options, including establishing a mass organization, joining another party, establishing a new party or combining these three alternatives. I was invited into several discussions by almost every party and I thought carefully about it."

The media mogul said that he joined Hanura since he shared Wiranto's vision to develop the country and respected the party's strong opposition stance.

On supporting Wiranto's presidential ambitions, Hary said, "The question is whether I will contribute in supplying logistics to the party, I have to say that the answer is that I will give my all."

Wiranto, meanwhile, said that the party would appoint Hary as its chief patron, declining to discuss his plans for 2104 in more detail. "We should not talk about a presidential candidate yet. Our main focus now is attempting to develop the party," Wiranto said.

Contacted separately, Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) analyst Burhanuddin Muhtadi said that Hary might have a positive effect on Hanura's ailing fortunes.

A recent public opinion poll conducted by the Saiful Mujani Research & Consulting (SMRC) group said that Hanura's prospects for 2014 were hovering at an abysmal 1 percent.

"Hanura's electability rating will improve significantly, because Hary would provide the party with strong financial and media support," Burhanuddin said.

According to Burhanuddin, Hanura would also get an infusion of energy from Hary's loyalists who would defect to Hanura along with their patron. "This will be bad news for NasDem." Burhanuddin also said that Hanura would likely provide a platform for Hary's own political ambitions in the future.

"Hary might have arranged a deal with Wiranto. The fact that he [Hary] was appointed as the chief of the party's board of patrons indicates that he has intentions of taking over the party after the elections in 2014," Burhanuddin said.

Burhanuddin said that by giving Hanura access to its media outlets, Hary would basically be campaigning for himself. "Hary will give Hanura access to media campaigns, although the main intention is clearly campaigning for himself," he said.

Siti said that Hanura could also benefit from a new mass organization, Indonesia United (Perindo), that was recently founded by Hary. "Even though Hary has failed to admit it, Perindo will clearly be Hanura's appendage, and that will give Hanura access to more voters," Siti said. (nad)