TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Functional Group Party's (Golkar) deputy chairman of central executive board, Agung Laksono, said on Monday, May 19, 2014, that there is no chance for Aburizal Bakrie to run in the 2014 presidential election.
Agung said that Golkar had tried many ways to nominate Aburizal as a presidential candidate but failed. Golkar and Aburizal have approached the chairperson of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Megawati Soekarnoputri, but the talks resulted in nothing as the PDI-P nominated Joko "Jokowi" Widodo as the presidential candidate and decided Jusuf Kala as Jokowi's running mate.
The plan to build a new coalition with the Democrat Party to put Aburizal and Pramono Edhie Wibowo also did not work well. When they turn to the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra), the door was closed since the party had decided to coalesce with the National Mandate Party (PAN), the United Development Party (PPP) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). Prabowo even declared Hatta Rajasa as his running mate for the upcoming presidential election.
Agung admitted that the situation faced by his party is not conducive to the Golkar's wish to nominate Aburizal as a presidential candidate. Aburizal has to report the situation, including if they have to lobby Gerindra to have ministerial positition, to Golkar's cadres.
FRANSISCO ROSARIANS
