Rais: Kalla for President, Sultan Less Chance

Sumber :

VIVAnews - The National Mandate Party (PAN)'s founder, Amien Rais, apparently has hopes for the chairperson of the Functional Group Party (Golkar), Jusuf Kalla. Rais saw that Kalla can offer a change in the Indonesian economic system.

"Perhaps there is a good side if Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ends partnership with Jusuf Kalla," said Amien Rais at the Gedung Djoeang, Jakarta on Tuesday Feb. 24. "There will be positive dynamics."

The dynamics mentioned by Rais is the dynamics in the Presidential Election if there are three presidential candidates, i.e. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Megawati Soekarnoputri and Jusuf Kalla. The three will compete for influence and they will have their own platforms.

From the platform, Rais saw that the Yudhoyono's economic blue print is more or less the same as Megawati's. "Maybe Jusuf Kalla can escape the liberal economy that is economy under the IMF shadow. Jusuf Kalla can create a democratic economy," he said.

"But if this figure [president] wants only power without relating it to the country's future economy, it will be like facing the worst options," Rais added.

He also predicted that it will be hard for Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X to become a presidential candidate. "With all due respect, I think the Sultan is less significant because he is backed by a small party," said the professor of Politics at Gadjah Mada University.

The snowball which was expected to get bigger along the Sultan's nomination on last October fails to get bigger. "Its movement went unexpectedly," he said.

Amien Rais, a Yogyakartan himself, has not decided whether he will run for president or not since no party has officially asked him. "I'm ready (to be a presidential candidate), if the party that nominates is a real party, not some minor party," he said.

And the National Mandate Party (PAN) which he established is a real party. But PAN is still waiting for the April 9 legislative election results to decide its own presidential candidate.

Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X is nominated by the Archipelago Republic Party (PRN) although the Sultan did not give an official acceptance. The Sultan is still trying to have nomination from his own party, Golkar.

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Translated by: Ariyantri E. Tarman