0 Army Chief, Trade Minister, First Lady All in Democrat Chair Rumor Mill

General Pramono Edhie Wibowo and Gita Wirjawan have been mentioned as two strong candidates to replace Anas Urbaningrum as chairman of the Democratic Party. But both Pramono, the Army chief of staff and brother-in-law of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and Gita, the trade minister, have stated they have no interest in seeking the position. Pramono, who retires in May, said he wanted to spend more time with his family because as chief of staff he hardly ever saw them due to frequent trips he had to make. 

“Until now, I just want to focus on taking care of [my] family because I have often had to leave them behind for work,” Pramono said. Previously, Democratic Party politician Ruhut Sitompul said Pramono would make an ideal chairman for the party following Anas’s resignation after he was named a suspect in the Hambalang sports center graft case. Gita, whose name had also often been mentioned as a candidate to replace Anas, said he seeking the chairmanship was not an option. 

“I’m not interested in becoming [the chairman],” Gita said, after meeting lawmakers at the parliament building on Wednesday. “I’m not interested at all,” he reiterated. Gita said speculation linking him to the post was merely gossip. “There’s nothing more important than carrying on my state duty as the trade minister,” Gita said. Meanwhile, first lady Ani Yudhoyono remained a popular choice among members of the party to run for chairwoman despite reports that her husband would not allow her to take the position. 

Democratic Party faction head at the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), Jafar Hafsah, said party members believed Ani would accept a nomination. Jafar said Ani’s experience as the party’s deputy chairwoman during its founding made her a prime candidate for the role. The election will be conducted at the end of this month.

source : the jakarta globe