People seeking the presidential nomination at the Democratic Party’s much-anticipated convention could see themselves disqualified through regulations that will be put together by party bosses, an official from the convention committee said.
“Participants of the convention can be disqualified. However, it is hoped that none will have to be disqualified,” said Suaidi Marasabessy, the secretary of the convention committee.
He added that the committee is still deliberating on the specific conditions of the disqualification policy. “It may be regulated later,” he said.
Suaidi said individuals running at the convention will have to pledge to promote the Democratic Party in the 2014 legislative election, with will precede the presidential race.
“With all their capacity, they will have to fight to introduce themselves and the Democratic Party to the public,” said Suaidi, who also heads the party’s legislative candidacy task force.
It is unclear what the prospective regulations will say, how decisions to disqualify candidates will be made and when or even if such regulations will be available for public scrutiny.
The prospect of regulation was nonetheless welcomed by Hayono Isman, a member of the Democratic Party’s advisory board who has recently announced he is preparing to run for the party’s nomination at the convention.
“Of course I agree with whatever regulation that has been agreed upon between the convention committee and potential candidates, including the part about the disqualification of the convention’s participants,” Hayono said in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Hayono said he was confident the committee will be able to rectify the public’s doubts about the convention’s credibility.
“I believe in the composition of the committee, as we can erase doubts among the public regarding the Democratic Party’s seriousness, especially in holding a democratic, credible and accountable presidential candidate convention,” Hayono said.
The committee consists of 17 people — seven party members and 10 independents — tasked with nominating the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.
In July, Democratic Party chairman President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono announced seven guidelines for the convention, including the requirements for potential candidates and the convention’s timing. But they did not address disqualification.
Suaidi has responded to recent claims that the party’s convention is just for show by saying that authority over the nomination of a presidential candidate remained in the hands of the party’s supreme assembly chairman, a position currently held by Yudhoyono.
According to Suaidi, the supreme assembly will be tasked only with monitoring the nomination process. This would seem to contradict other reports that the assembly also drafted policies for the convention, and holds responsibility for announcing the result.
“The supreme assembly is responsible for controlling [the convention] so that it will not deviate from the initial decision delegated to the committee,” Suaidi said on Tuesday.
“The supreme assembly will only function to legitimize [the convention’s outcome].”
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is ineligible to seek a third term in 2014. SP Photo/Y.C. Kurniantoro Dukungan
by: Carlos Paath & Markus Junianto Sinaloho
source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/dems-seek-a-tight-rein-on-convention/
