Golkar warns internal Jokowi-Kalla supporters to toe line

Fuente: 
The Jakarta Post
Fecha de publicación: 
20 Mayo 2014

A Golkar Party official said the party intended to discipline members who broke ranks to support the Joko "Jokowi" Widodo-Jusuf Kalla ticket as Golkar had formally announced its support for Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa.

At the last minute, Golkar joined a coalition with the Gerindra Party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), United Development Party (PPP) and National Mandate Party (PAN). The coalition accounts for 45.3 percent of seats in the next House of Representatives and 47.54 percent of votes cast in the legislative election.

“Every member should commit to this decision. Golkar’s leaders meeting ordered Aburizal [Bakrie, party chairman] to make a move and he has chosen to support Prabowo and Hatta,” Mahyudin, a Golkar central executive board head, said as quoted by tempo.co on Tuesday.

Mahyudin also said those who went against the party line could be dismissed.

Previously, Indra J. Piliang, head of Golkar’s research and development division, said he was ready to lose his position over his support for Jokowi. Several other rising stars in the party, including Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita and Poempida Hidayatullah, have also come out for the Jakarta governor.

According to a survey conducted by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) on April 20-24, around 38 percent of Golkar voters said they would vote for Jokowi and Kalla in the presidential election.

The Jokowi-Kalla ticket is backed by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), NasDem, the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Hanura Party, representing 37 percent of the popular vote. 

 

Source/Fuente: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/05/20/golkar-warns-internal-joko...