TEMPO.CO, Nusa Dua – Soetrisno Bachir, a former chief of the National Mandate Party (PAN), said he was poised to replace Amien Rais as the party’s chairman of advisory council and assist Zulkifli Hasan, who has been recently selected as PAN chairman for 2015-2020.
“If the congress appoints me, I’m ready,” he told Tempo at Hotel Westin, Nusa Dua, Bali on Sunday night, March 1, 2015. “My friends have prepared me to vie for the advisory council chairmanship.”
He said the election for the position would take place on Monday, March 2, 2015. “The election will be organized on Monday. I don’t know yet who the contenders are,” said Sutrisno, who had previously promised he would again contribute actively to the party if Zulkifli was elected the party’s chair.
Zulkifli Hasan has been elected as PAN’s top man after prevailing over then-incumbent Hatta Rajasa in the recent voting held by the party’s congress. “Hatta Rajasa gets 286 votes, while Zulkifli Hasan garners 292 votes,” said PAN’s steering committee head Taufik Kurniawan as he read the vote tally. “The margin is six votes, with a note that four votes are damaged.”
PAN chairman for 2010-2015 Hatta Rajasa said he accepted the vote results and his defeat at the party’s fourth congress in Bali. According to Hatta, Zulkifli’s victory is a result of a democratic process.
“We still have tomorrow, and it is our collective duty to develop the party,” Hatta said after the voting on Sunday night. “I congratulate [Zulkifli on his victory] and call on my supporters to unite once more and bring progress to the party.”
PRIHANDOKO