Next Democratic Chairman Will Not Be SBY’s Wife or Son: House Speaker

Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife Ani wave from the presidential plane as they depart the Tegel International airport in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday (6/3). (Rumgapres Photo/Abror Rizki)

House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie says the new Democratic Party chairman will not be related to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

“SBY [Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono] has said that the next chairman would not be from his family, not Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, nor Ani Yudhoyono,” Marzuki said on Friday as quoted by Antaranews.com.

Marzuki, a senior member of the Democratic Party, said that the new chairman would be someone who had served with the party for a long time, lambasting the idea that Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan would be the new party leader to replace Anas Urbaningrum, who resigned from the top position last month after he was named a graft suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Democratic Party member Ramadhan Pohan said on Thursday that there were several candidates in the running for the chairman position including Ehdie, Ani, Justice and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin and Transportation Minister E.E. Mangindaan, as reported by Tribunnews.com.

Muhammad Rahmad, another Democratic Party member, told Tempo.co that Ani could mend the party’s fracture, adding that the idea to nominate the Indonesia’s first lady had been discussed among several cadres and regional board members from the party.

“Yudhoyono said that he would not nominate his family members as presidential candidate, but did not say anything about being the party’s chairman,” Rahmad said on Friday, as quoted by Tempo.co.

The party will hold an extraordinary congress on March 30 to 31 in Bali to select the new chairman.