Rhoma Irama, the possible presidential candidate of the National Awakening Party (PKB), said he had been forced by his supporters to join the race for the presidency.
Rhoma claimed he could do little to turn down the demand, which he said had been voiced by many since 2004.
“I told them there are more people who were more competent than me, but they said that in a direct election, what was needed was not only capability but also popularity and electability. They’re convinced I have both,” Rhoma said as quoted by tribunnews.com.
Rhoma said he had agreed to his supporters’ demands.
The self-styled “king of dangdut” said he had agreed to take up the challenge with heavy heart.
“The responsibility that comes with becoming president is massive. It would be easier to just be the king of dangdut,” he said.
Rhoma also said he had promoted many ideas that he could use for his presidential campaign.
“Before the international [agencies] campaign on human rights, in 1977 I wrote a song about human rights. In 1982, one of my songs focused on corruption eradication,” he said.
So far only the PKB has warmed to the idea of nominating Rhoma for the presidential election.
PKB chairman Muhaimin Iskandar said he would prefer to have Rhoma as a presidential candidate than former Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD, also a popular candidate among the party’s supporters.
Muhaimin said the candidacy of Rhoma was no joke and he called on rival political parties to take the move seriously.
So far, only an obscure organization, Wasiat Ulama, and the Indonesia Malay Musicians Association (PAMMI) have endorsed the 65-year-old singer as their preferred presidential hopeful.
Rhoma founded the prominent dangdut group Soneta in 1970. The group’s first album, Begadang (Stay Up All Night), which featured a shirtless Rhoma in tight trousers on the cover, was a big hit. Rolling Stone Indonesia listed the album at number 11 out of the 150 greatest Indonesian albums of all time.
After performing haj in 1975, Rhoma featured several Islamic values as the theme of his songs, including “Judi” (Gambling) and “Haram” (Forbidden).
Rhoma has built a reputation as a supporter of the Islamic-based United Development Party (PPP) since the New Order era.
The Soeharto regime officially banned his songs when he campaigned for the PPP from 1977 to 1982.
Source/Fuente: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/03/11/supporters-convinced-me-ru...
