Democrat Party told to abandon its presidential convention

"The convention was held to select a presidential candidate. In view of the current position, it was difficult to nominate a presidential candidate," Marzuki Alie said.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Vice chief of the Democrat Partys supreme council Marzuki Alie had called for the cancellation of the ruling partys presidential convention following its low vote tally in the April 9 legislative election.

"The convention was held to select a presidential candidate. In view of the current position, it was difficult to nominate a presidential candidate," he said in a discussion on "Whats Next, Indonesia" here on Thursday.

Marzuki, who is also the House of Representatives (DPR)s chairman, said a quick vote count by a number of pollsters showed that the Democrat Party was ranked fourth among the 12 parties that contested in the election.

The vote tally fell short of the partys target of 15 percent to be able to field its own candidate in the July 9 presidential election, he added.

As one of the participants of the presidential convention, Marzuki said another political party may pick one of the partys candidates to become its partner in the presidential election.

"Please offer the chance to the participants of the convention," he said.

Marzuki added, however, that it was for the chief of the partys supreme council Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was also the countrys president, to decide.

"Of course, I will return the matter to the chief of the supreme council," he said.

Under the Election Law, a party must gain at least 25 percent of popular vote or control 20 percent of the seats in the House of Representatives to be able to field a candidate.

According to the result of the quick vote count by the Jakarta-based pollster Lingkaran Survei Indonesia (LSI), the ruling Democrat Party finished fourth with 9.72 percent, losing to the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) in the first place, the Golkar Party in the second place and the Greater Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party in the third place.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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