"That is just an issue. I am still the leader of the Democrat Party in East Java and the province`s governor," he said on the sidelines of a conference of the Democrat Party`s Nganjuk district branch.
He said until now he had not been approached by higher party officials about the matter nor had anybody in the central party leadership asked him to become the party`s acting chairman.
Sukarwo also did not give a clear answer when asked what he would do if he was actually named the party`s acting chairman to replace Anas whose name has been dragged into a number of alleged corruption scandals by former Democrat Party treasurer Moh Nazaruddin.
He only said "So far, nobody has asked me", adding he would just wait for further developments in the party.
A number of East Java community figures have said Sukarwo was the right candidate for the position of Democrat Party acting chairman if Anas had to go.
One of such figures was the rector of the Sunan Ampel State Institute of Islamic Studies in Surabaya, Nur Syam.
"If SBY (Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the Democrat Party`s chief patron) needs an acting party chairman, he should consider Soekarwo," Nur said.
The treasurer of the executive board of the Democrat Party`s East Java chapter, Achmad Iskandar, confirmed there was wide support among the party`s rank and file in the province for Soekarwo to be appointed as party acting chairman if the party needed someone to fill such a position.
(SYS/H-AJM/B003)
Editor: Suryanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
