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The Golkar Party on Thursday agreed to hold its national congress, which will be critical in deciding the party leadership for the next five years, in Pekanbaru, Riau, in early October instead of December as initially scheduled.

Golkar chairman Jusuf Kalla confirmed the decision after the conclusion of a two-day meeting of the party’s provincial chapters.

Kalla said the party leadership would be decided at the provincial- and district-level meetings that followed the congress.

Four party members have already declared their candidacy for the chairmanship: advisory board member and Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare Aburizal Bakrie, advisory board chairman and media mogul Surya Paloh and two up-and-coming young Golkar members, Yuddy Chrisnandi and Ferry Mursyidan Baldan.

An October congress, analysts say, will give Bakrie the advantage because he has already secured the backing of most of the of provincial chapters, while the other candidates do not have enough time to drum up support for their bids.

Kalla said that as long as the current administration was in office, until Oct. 20, Golkar will continue to remain a government supporter, but after that “there will be new leadership that will determine the party’s stance.”

Following the party’s heavy losses in this year’s legislative and presidential elections, Golkar is under pressure to decide whether it will continue to support the government or join the opposition.

Analysts say that under Bakrie, Golkar will remain firmly behind the new government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Bakrie has denied speculation that his early bid for the chairmanship was to give Golkar leverage in negotiating cabinet positions with Yudhoyono.

“On negotiations with the government, that is still far away,” he said, adding that such negotiations would only be carried out if Yudhoyono initiated it.

Yuddy speculated that the national congress was brought forward because of personal political interests, saying there was nothing to warrant such a move.

“I do not see a party agenda or the interests of the organization. It is only personal interests at the moment that has precipitated the holding of the congress,” he said.

Kalla, had earlier remained adamant that the congress be held as scheduled in December, but he later agreed to hold it around the party’s anniversary on Oct. 20.