Agung Laksono to Hold Rival Congress

Jakarta (Antara) -- The chairman of the savior presidium of the Golkar Party, Agung Laksono, will hold a rival congress at Hotel Merdure in Ancol, North Jakarta, on Saturday evening. "This is true. The 9th Golkar Party Congress will be held at 7pm," presidium member Agun Gunandjar confirmed to Antara. He said that more than 280 members from the provincial and district/city levels of the party expressed their readiness to attend the congress, with electing the new party general chairman being one of their agendas. "One of the agendas for the meeting is electing a new Golkar Party general chairman," he stated, assuring that the election will run democratically with more than three candidates standing for chairmanship. There will be competition, unlike the election in the recent congress in Bali where it was done by acclamation, he remarked. "This congress will be more democratic, and there will be fair competition," Gunandjar affirmed. During the congress held in Bali recently, Aburizal Bakrie was re-elected as the party's general chairman for the 2014-2019 period. Laksono and his associates opposed this, deeming it illegal and a violation of the party's internal rules. (*) Reporting by Imam Budilaksono