JK Says Golkar Party Voters Not to be Divided

Bandung, West Java (Antara) - Former vice president Jusuf Kalla said he believed Golkar Party voters would not be divided if he chooses to run for president in 2014. "Golkar Party voters would remain united because a presidential election is different from legislative elections," he said here on Tuesday. The former Golkar Party general chairman said that in the presidential election, people elect a personality, while in the legislative elections they vote for political parties and, therefore, he believed Golkar Party voters would remain united. Kalla, who was commenting after attending an Islamic new year event, along with the general chairman of the Indonesia Mosque Council , said that the votes in the presidential election would come directly from people and not from political parties. "So, there is nothing like a division in Golkar Party," he said. When asked whether he will accept the National Awakening Party's (PKB) offer to run in 2014 under their banner, Kalla, who is also called JK , did not give a direct answer, saying : "it is just a proposal." He said that he appreciated the offer but "I would make a decision later, depending on the developments." PKB is one of the parties which has reportedly approached Jusuf Kalla to run for president under its banner. PKB has planned to nominate former Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD or musician Rhoma Irama as the running mate of Kalla. Kalla, who was vice president during current President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's first term, failed to win the last presidential election in 2009. He finished third after former president Megawati Soekarnoputri. *