In this file photo Hutomo Mandala Putra, popularly known as Tommy Suharto, son of late former president Suharto, delivers a speech during a declaration ceremony in Jakarta. Tommy's bid to to chair a core organization within the Golkar Party was likely doomed to failure, but could pave the way for future campaigns, an analyst said on Sunday.
A bid by Hutomo “Tommy” Mandala Putra, the controversial son of former President Suharto, to chair a core organization within the Golkar Party was likely doomed to failure, but could pave the way for future campaigns, an analyst said on Sunday.
The Mutual Assistance Families Society (MKGR), one of Golkar’s three core organizations, today kicks off its seventh national caucus in Surabaya, where it will elect a new chairperson.
Other candidates in the running include the incumbent and favorite, Priyo Budi Santoso, who is also a deputy speaker at the House of Representatives, and legislators Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita and Zainal Bintang.
“Tommy’s chances of winning the MKGR chair are very small,” said Yunarto Wijaya, a political analyst from Charta Politika.
Tommy, who was jailed briefly for ordering the murder of the judge who convicted him of graft, last year ran for the Golkar chair but lost in a landslide to Aburizal Bakrie.
“He failed to make waves back then, and he won’t do it now,” Yunarto said, although he did not rule out Tommy’s candidacy as a lost cause.
“From a long-term political perspective, Tommy’s constant exposure could increase his bargaining power within the party.”
By continuously standing for leadership posts, Tommy could eventually garner the popularity he needs to rise up through the ranks of his father’s political vehicle, Yunarto said, adding that he already had the benefit of a huge campaign war chest.
“The idea is to amass power over the long term,” he added.
Yunarto also argued that Tommy could further his political ambitions by using the Suharto family name to appeal to loyalists of the former president who still hold high positions in Golkar.
In the meantime, Tommy faces an uphill battle to win the MKGR chair because his main rival, Priyo, reportedly had Aburizal’s backing, Yunarto said.
“He doesn’t stand a chance unless he can reach some sort of mutual agreement with Aburizal,” he said, adding that their longtime rivalry would make this virtually impossible.
According to Yunarto, the race for the MKGR chair was linked to Aburizal’s desire to consolidate his hold over Golkar.
“Aburizal needs to prove his authority as party chairman by backing someone from his own camp,” he said. “In this case, it’s Priyo.”
He also said Aburizal’s support for Priyo was payback for the latter’s help in Aburizal’s bid for the Golkar chair.
On Friday, Priyo claimed to have Aburizal’s support.
“Aburizal fully supports my candidacy and we have both talked about it,” he told state-run news agency Antara. “He gave me lots of advice on how to shore up the MKGR.”
However, Aburizal’s spokesman, Lalu Mara Satriawangsa, declined to confirm whether the Golkar chairman was officially backing Priyo, saying only that “all the candidates are Golkar members, and Aburizal supports a fair competition.”
Priyo also claims to have the support of the MKGR’s central executive board and regional branches, which will be eligible to vote in this week’s election at the national caucus, although he has declined to elaborate on exactly how many votes he has already secured.
“I’m supported by a majority and I don’t see why I should give the exact figure,” he said.
“Everything is going well and I’m grateful for the support because it’s the grassroots members who want me to stay on as chairman.”
The MKGR was established in 1960 as a civil society organization. In 1964, it was one of dozens of organizations that were merged to form the Golkar Joint Secretariat, which became a political party in 1968 to support Suharto.
Only three of those original core organizations are currently active, the other two being Kosgoro and the Indonesian Workers Union (Soksi).
