Golkar Party Needs Fresh Figure: Priyo Budi Santoso

Jakarta (Antara) - Golkar Party needs a "fresh" figure as its new leader to stop the party from continuing to receive "bad lucks", a party figure said. "A fresh and energetic figure can become a magnet for Golkar when legislative and presidential elections are carried out simultaneously later," he said during a meeting with party regional board chairmen from across South Sulawesi and in a written statement received by Antara here on Sunday. Priyo said the party machine had passed tests from one general elections to another so far, marked by maximal votes it was able to collect. He said however that situation had been different when the machine was used in presidential elections, referring to the party's losses in presidential elections so far despite its victories in legislative elections. "Golkar Party has been superior in developing a political machine but has lagged behind in developing a potential and "marketable" figure and therefore the party has never been successful in winning national leadership again so far," he said. (*)