Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Golkar Party is expecting cadres who have been active in the Nasional Demokrat (Nasdem) mass organization to return to its fold, a party executive said.

Golkar Party Associate Chairman Priyo Budi Santoso said here on Wednesday he hoped Golkar cadres in Nasdem, including Nasdem founder Surya Paloh, would return to the party.

Priyo said Surya Paloh was a senior Golkar Party cadre so that he dare not order Surya to return but could only appeal to him to return to Golkar.

He said if his appeal to the Golkar cadres concerned was ignored, he would be "very sad."

Priyo who is also House of Representatives deputy speaker said that a number of cadres, especially in the regions, had already promised to return to Golkar.

"One by one those who are now active in Nasdem are returning," he said.

Nasdem recently announced its status as a political party and registered itself with the law and human rights ministry as required by the regulations on political parties.

Regarding Golkar Party`s candidates Priyo meanwhile said that the party had not yet discussed figures for the 2014 presidential election.

"Golkar will only discuss the names of possible presidential candidates in 2012 at the earliest," he said.

Priyo said Golkar would only announce its presidential candidate ahead of the legislative elections in 2014. "Now it is still too early to discuss the matter," he said.

He said ideally Golkar`s top leader should be nominated for president but no decision to that effect had been made so far.

Priyo said the selection of presidential nominees would be done in 2012 at the earliest through a democratic mechanism, including a survey by an independent survey institute.

Regarding the naming of five people by a senior party cadre Priyo said that it was the cadre`s personal view.

"It is up to anyone to make a statement about it but organizationally Golkar has not discussed figures," he said.

Senior Golkar cadre Lili Asdjudireja earlier said that the party had prepared five of its best cadres for the presidential election in 2014 namely former vice president Jusuf Kalla, party general chairman Aburizal Bakrie, party advisory board chairman Akbar Tanjung, party deputy general chairman Agung Laksono and Fadel Muhammad who is also party deputy general chairman.

Lili said the party would choose one of them through a survey to become the party`s presidential candidate for the 2014 election.

Priyo said if five senior Golkar figures would unite, the party would certainly become bigger and it was not impossible it would win the 2014 general elections.

The five figures Priyo meant were Jusuf Kalla, Aburizal Bakrie, Surya Paloh, Akbar Tanjung and Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono. He said they all had charisma and influence in the community.
(T.R024/H-YH/HAJM/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011