Rivals of Golkar’s Bakrie stage own national congress

December 7, 2014 – Golkar’s presidium led by senior politician Agung Laksono organised its own national congress in Jakarta.

The meeting was a counterpoint to the Nusa Dua national meeting, in which Aburizal Bakrie was re-elected as chairman of the Indonesian political party for the 2014-2019 term.

Members of the presidium claimed the Golkar national congress in Bali was undemocratic as it was engineered to re-elect Bakrie by acclamation.

Representatives from 384 out of 560 Golkar chapters and branches joined the congress on Sunday, making up the quorum stipulated by the party’s internal rules. Organisers said the congress will allow Golkar chairmanship candidates to transparently share their vision and mission in front of congress participants.

Priyo Budi S, Agung Laksono and lawmaker Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita are running for the leadership post. Priyo claimed the congress had received an endorsement from Vice President and former Golkar chairman Jusuf Kalla.

There are hopes that a leadership change in Golkar would allow the party to join the ruling coalition led by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle.

Chairmen of both camps will file their line-up of political party administrators to the Ministry of Law and Human Rights on Monday.

The minister has seven days to decide which Golkar chairman will be acknowledged by the central government.