Democratic Party chairman President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said his party’s presidential primary would be open to candidates from both inside and outside the party.
Yudhoyono also pledged the primary would be transparent in which the public would be expected to join the process. “People will be involved in the selection,” Yudhoyono said in his speech on Sunday evening.
Yudhoyono said the selection process for the candidates would run from September 2013 until April 2014.
He said between September and December there would be programs to introduce candidates to the public.
“Between January and April [2014] there will be more activities, including debates for the candidates,” he said.
Yudhoyono added that the party would set up a selection team comprising of both Democratic Party and independent figures.
Meanwhile, shortly before Yudhoyono announced the terms and conditions for candidates running in the primary, politicians had begun gauging their prospects.
Former Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD said that he was convinced that Yudhoyono’s brother-in-law former Indonesian military (TNI) chief Gen. (ret) Pramono Edhie Wibowo would not be nominated by the Democratic Party for the 2014 presidential election.
Mahfud said that the Democratic Party would not bother to stage a presidential primary in September if it had been predetermined that Pramono would be the sole candidate.
“I have not seen any indication that Pramono Edhie will be nominated by Pak SBY or that he was recruited to be selected as candidate,” Mahfud said on Sunday.
Last week, a national meeting of the Democratic Party decided to approve the membership of Pramono, which many said was a precursor to his nomination as the party’s presidential candidate and even replacing Yudhoyono as party chairman.
Pramono, who retired from his military career in May, previously said he would spend more time with his family.
The former army chief, were he to run, would first have to compete in the presidential primary, which is slated for September at the latest.
He would have to compete against other prominent figures who have conveyed an interest in participating in the primary. Among the contenders could be Mahfud MD, Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan and Regional Representatives Council (DPD) chairman Irman Gusman.
Mahfud also said that because the Democratic Party had not yet been given the terms and conditions for running in the primary, he had spoken with other political parties.
“I have spoken with both Golkar and the Democratic Party. I have met with elites from these parties,” Mahfud said.
The former National Awakening Party (PKB) politician said that he was open to being nominated as vice president. “In all probability I should be a presidential candidate, but I could accept the nomination as vice president,” Mahfud said.
Mahfud said that if he accepted the offer from the Golkar Party for instance he would have to agree to serve as a running mate for party chairman Aburizal Bakrie.
Meanwhile, Trade Minister Gita said that he would press ahead with his plan for the Democratic Party primary. “If I am allowed, I will [run in the primary],” Gita said as quoted by tempo.co.
Gita said that he was still waiting for an official invitation from the Democratic Party. “I still haven’t received an e-mail,” he said.
He also denied suggestions that his tour around the country had anything to do with his possible presidential bid.
Gita said that he made the visits in his capacity as a state official.
Also expected to run in the primary are Marshall (ret.) Djoko Suyanto and Gen.(ret.) Endriartono Sutarto.
Djoko Suyanto, who currently serves as Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister, was former TNI commander for the period of 2006-2007. Meanwhile, Endriartono was former TNI Chief of Staff and TNI commander immediately prior to Djoko.
Suaidi Marasabessy, a member of the Democratic Party’s board of patrons, said that the two retired generals had once asked him about the criteria of presidential candidates sought by the Democratic Party.
source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/07/08/yudhoyono-says-dems-primary-be-open-all.html
