•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   
•    EYEWITNESS   

Amid increasing speculation that Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie will run for president for his party, the ruling Democratic Party slammed as premature Golkar’s suggestion that it was set to throw its hat into the ring for the general elections in 2014.

Democratic Party deputy secretary general Ramadhan Pohan said on Sunday that it was too early for Golkar to announce its intentions for the 2014 polls.

The country will choose a new president in the ballot, as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono faces a term limit after his second period in the top job.

At Golkar’s anniversary celebrations on Saturday at Bung Karno Stadium, Aburizal hinted at Golkar’s readiness for the polls.

“Last year I said the sky was still blue, and the paddies were turning yellow. This year, the paddies continue to turn yellow and are ready to be harvested in 2014,” he said.

Golkar’s party color is yellow, while the Democrats’ is blue.

The Democrats, Ramadhan told the Jakarta Globe, would not respond in a similar fashion to Golkar’s move, adding that the ruling party would use Yudhoyono’s remaining time in office to work on its agenda.

He called Golkar’s announcement premature, since the elections were still more than two years away and much could happen in that time. He also said there was no guarantee Golkar would continue to garner enough votes to get seats in the House of Representatives as the parliamentary threshold is expected to be increased this year.
“If they can’t get 20 percent of the votes in the election, they can’t on their own nominate Aburizal for president. They would need to form a coalition,” Ramadhan said, adding that the Democrats would discuss their election strategy in early 2014, including naming a candidate.

Speculation about Aburizal’s possible bid for the top office is not new.

Last week, senior Golkar politician and coordinating minister for people’s welfare, Agung Laksono, said Aburizal would run for president in 2014.

Golkar secretary general Idrus Marham previously stated that ideally, only a party chairman deserved to be nominated as a candidate for president.

Golkar has also conducted a survey that shows only Aburizal would receive enough support from party members to make a run in 2014.

A recent survey by the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) showed Golkar growing in popularity, eking past the Democrats.

Golkar scored 17.9 percent in June and 18.2 in the latest survey. Second in popularity were the Democrats, who in June scored 15.5 percent and in October got the backing of 16.5 percent of respondents.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) came in third with 12.5 percent in June and 14.5 percent this month.

Hanta Yuda, a political analyst with the Indonesian Institute, told the Globe that Aburizal’s tactics were risky. While the public would have more time to probe and criticize his track record, Aburizal is actually setting the seal on his place in the party, he said.

While Golkar’s announcement was widely slammed, Hanta said Golkar, unlike the Democratic Party, did not have a responsibility to focus on governing the country.

“Golkar just needs to make sure its ministers in the Cabinet work well. Aburizal is not a minister, he can afford to begin campaigning,” he said.

Democratic chairman Anas Urbaningrum said on Saturday that he respected Golkar’s decision to make its announcement “because it’s part of their political strategy.”

However, he added that the Democrats would continue to focus on their jobs.

PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Sukarnoputri also called Golkar’s announcement premature, saying 2014 was still far away.

Additional reporting by Rizky Amelia