0 Pastika gives a nod to Golkar, Democratic Party

Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika has finally accepted endorsements from five political parties for his reelection bid in the upcoming gubernatorial election in May. Pastika’s supporting parties comprise the Golkar Party, the Democratic Party, the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura) and the National Mandate Party (PAN). The coalition of five parties had been waiting for Pastika’s decision for the last few months, as the retired three-star police general had been waiting to see if he would be endorsed by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which supported him during the 2008 election. 

“Until now, the PDI-P has not yet given any signal of endorsement to any gubernatorial candidate. It has been so obvious that the PDI-P will not give an endorsement for my reelection bid. I think I should move on for the coming election try to get support from other parties,” Pastika told journalists on Wednesday morning. During the 2008 gubernatorial election, Pastika obtained full support from the PDI-P. Speculation about the PDI-P’s candidate is heating up. Current speculation has it that AAN Puspayoga, the incumbent deputy governor, will be the most likely candidate from PDI-P. 

Another rumor stated that the PDI-P would still support the incumbent duo — Pastika and Puspayoga, for the 2013 election. However, the personal relationship between the two high-ranking officials has already soured. Pastika and Puspayoga won the 2008 gubernatorial election by a landslide after securing the endorsement of the PDI-P. The rift between them erupted after Puspayoga, a seasoned PDI-P politician who apparently harbors an ambition to be the island’s No. 1, forged an alliance with Satria Naradha who owns the island’s biggest daily, Bali Post, and Bali TV. 

Naradha-controlled news outlets have continuously portrayed Pastika as a failed leader while at the same time promoting Puspayoga as the best candidate for governorship. A source close to Pastika revealed that Puspayoga’s camp had inflicted a major blow on Pastika after it managed to convince the PDI-P’s national elites, including former president and PDI-P chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri, that Pastika had to go. Sources close to Pastika also revealed that Megawati had refused to meet Pastika for over six months. As of now, Pastika has still not been able to meet with Megawati, even though he has tried to arrange an appointment with the fifth Indonesian president. 

However, Pastika still paid respect to the PDI-P as the only political party that had endorsed him in the 2008 gubernatorial election, especially Megawati. “She was the one who asked be to be the PDI-P candidate in the last gubernatorial election. I really hope that I could meet with her soon. I respect her as our fifth president. I will not run away from her,” Pastika stated. He added that, actually, he was really hoping to get the PDI-P’s endorsement for his reelection bid. Unfortunately, he had received no response from the biggest party on the island. “Time is running out and I have to make a decision. 

Do not ever think that I am not loyal [to PDI-P], but I put the interests of Bali and its people above everything else,” said Pastika. Pastika explained the reason behind his willingness to be reelected. “There are many unfinished programs from my first term in office. I am eager to continue the Bali Mandara program to improve the living conditions of the island’s people,” he said. In the face of the ASEAN free trade agreement, Pastika has vowed to work harder, if he was reelected, to upgrade the skills of the island’s human resources. “I am not thinking about power. I am thinking about the people and the island,” he ended.

source : bali daily