Three presidential candidates to compete in July 8 race

Three presidential candidates are now certain to compete in the race in Indonesia next July 8.

The three are Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), the current president, from the Democratic Party, Jusuf Kalla (JK), the current vice president, from Golkar Party and former president Megawati Soekarnoputri from the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDIP).


SBY will pair up with Boediono, the former central bank governor while JK with Wiranto, former military commander from the People`s Conscience Party (Hanura), and Megawati, with Prabowo Subiantoro, also a former military figure from the Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), for the race.


They on Saturday registered themselves with the General Elections Commission (KPU).

The Democratic Party was leading in the recent legislative elections collecting the most votes, followed by Golkar Party in the second place and PDIP in the third.

JK who declared his decision to run for the president with Wiranto first on May 1 had pledged he would work hard if elected later to improve the people`s welfare and education. With his vast experience as a politician, a businessman and a vice president he believed he would be able to overcome problems to be faced by the counry for the next five years.

Wiranto said that his willingness to become a vice president was a courage as he initially wanted to be a president. He said he made the decision based upon rational consideration after his party only garnered less than 10 percent of the national votes in the recent legislative elections.

Wiranto who failed in the presidential race in 2004 as a Golkar Party candidate, said that Golkar and Hanura had a chemistry based on nationalism. "As soon as we decided to cooperate we were not awkward. Our party uniform also happen to have the same color," he said.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono meanwhile had shocked many quarters following his decision to choose Boediono as his running mate. The decision caused an uproar among four Islamic parties to coalesce with his Democratic Party namely the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the National Awakening Party (PKB).

SBY declared his candidacy with Boediono in Bandung on Friday. On the occasion Boediono denied opinions which said that he was a neo-liberal. "That is not true. Our economy is not fully referred to free market mechanism but is also controlled," he said.

The ticket got support from 21 political parties to move to the race with a promise of a clean government.

Late on Friday Megawati finally declared her decision to run for president with Prabowo Subiantoro as her running mate after intense talks between the two.

Prabowo who is initially also a presidential aspirant, said it was a great honor for him to be chosen by Megawati as her running mate for the election later this year.

He said the agreement to cooperate for the election was based upon their commitment to safeguard state ideology "Pancasila", the unitary state of Indonesia, economic sovereignty and the grassroots.

"This is a big responsibility I will carry out at best with Megawati Soekarnoputri," he said.

Megawati meanwhile said she would assign Prabowo later to deal with economic programs.

The presidential and vice presidential candidates would have their health conditions tested on Sunday and Monday as required by the law. (*)