JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – The ruling Democratic Party led by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has decided to invite 15 candidates to participate in the party’s September convention competing the ticket to join the 2014 presidential race from the party.
Most reports pointed out that candidates nominated by the party’s High Council led by SBY himself dominate those 15 names. The party’s High Council reportedly nominated 11 candidates. While the rest are nominated by the Committee of the party’s primary.
There is no official announcement yet about those 15 names of candidates to be invited to join the primary. However, Ruhut Sitompul, politician from Democratic Party, once revealed nine names were he believed nominated by the party’s High Council led by SBY.
They are;
General (ret) Pramono Edhie Wibowo -brother in law of President SBY and Democratic Party politician
Gita Wirjawan – Minister of Trade
Marzuki Alie – House Speaker and Democratic Party politician
Dahlan Iskan – Minister of SOEs
General (ret) Djoko Santoso – former Military Commander
General (ret) Endriartono Sutarto – former Military Commander and former politician of Nasdem Party
Mahfud MD – former Chief of Constitutional Court
Irman Gusman – Speaker of Regional Representatives Council (DPD)
Chairul Tanjung – businessman and owner of CT Corp.
Other names tipped by media to be invited to the Democratic Party’s primary are;
Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo – popular Jakarta Governor and PDI-P politician
Jusuf Kalla – former Vice President and Golkar politician
Sri Mulyani Indrawati – Managing Director of World Bank and former Minister of Finance
Rustriningsih – former Vice Governor of Central Java and PDI-P politician
Tri Rismaharini – Surabaya Mayor and PDI-P politician
Ali Masykur Musa – member of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) and former PKB politician
Jumhur Hidayat – Head of the Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BNP2TKI)
Rusdi Kirana – owner of Lion Air
Herry Zudianto – Yogyakarta Mayor
Dino Patti Jalal – Ambassador to US
Anies Baswedan – Rector of Paramadina University
Sinyo Sarundayang – North Sulawesi Governor and Democratic Party politician
Hayono Isman – Democratic Party politician
Marwah Daud Ibrahim – Chairman of the Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals Association (ICMI) and former Golkar senior politician
Achmad Mubarok – Democratic Party politician
Isran Noor – Democratic Party politician and East Kutai Regent
However, Jokowi and Sri Mulyani had firmly stated for not joining the primary. While Mahfud, Gita, Dahlan, and Endriartono had already stated to participate in the September convention.
(haryantos@yosefardi.biz)