Aburizal Bakrie's Golkar Party Leadership Challenged

Jakarta, Oct 9 (Antara) - The Golkar Party`s founders and exponents challenged the legitimacy of current General Chairman Aburizal Bakrie`s leadership here on Thursday. "The leadership of Golkar Party under Aburizal Bakrie is no longer legitimate as its term ends on October 9, 2014, in line with the results of the 8th National Conference in Pekanbaru, Riau, on October 5-9, 2009," Suhardiman representing the founders stated at a press conference. In view of that, he emphasized that based on legal facts, all policies adopted by the Golkar Party`s board after October 9, 2014, should be annulled. Suhardiman remarked that as the caretakers of moral values, Golkar founders along with the exponents of three mass organizations that formed the party: Soksi, MKGR and Kosgoro 57, have given Aburizal Bakrie 14 days to immediately set up a committee to hold the 9th conference no later than December this year. "If Aburizal Bakrie does not respect our demand then the founders of Golkar and exponents of the three Golkar`s mass organizations will fill in the vacuum by establishing the committee to elect the party`s board members for the period of 2014-2019 based on the party`s constitution," he stated. In the meantime, Suhardiman has called on all the Golkar cadres across the country, which numbered around 500, especially in districts and cities, to uphold the party`s sovereignty and to close ranks and unite. "Mobilize power and unity to uphold the party`s constitution to ensure certainty. Immediately conduct consolidation to prepare for the 9th conference in line with the mandate of the constitution to elect the new central board members for the period of 2014-2019 by November 2014 at the latest," he noted. Golkar Party, which was earlier the dominant party in the country, finished second in the legislative elections on April 9, thereby marring Aburizal Bakrie`s chances of being nominated as the presidential candidate for the July 9 election. Golkar then joined the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), the United Development Party (PPP), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the National Mandate Party (PAN), and the Moon and Star Party (PBB) to support Gerindra`s presidential candidate, Prabowo Subianto. Prabowo pairing with Hatta Rajasa from PAN was later defeated by Joko Widodo from the Indonesia Democratic Party Struggle (PDIP) who paired with former vice president Jusuf Kalla in the election.