Sultan wins support for presidency

Agnes, ID Nugroho and Luthfiana M , THE JAKARTA POST , SURABAYA, JEMBER | Fri, 02/13/2009 3:59 PM | East Java

Up to 6,000 people from 38 regencies and municipalities in the province poured into an informal gathering in the city Wednesday to express support for Yogyakarta governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and his candidacy in the upcoming presidential election.

Besides making a declaration on the political supports, participants also expressed their determination to stand behind the Yogyakarta sultan and his promise to return power to the people.

Hamengkubuwono, who was accompanied by his wife Kanjeng Ratu Hemas, stressed that changes in the country were determined by the people.

He said the people's choice in the presidential election scheduled for July, would determine the way the development program would be carried out in the upcoming five years.

The sultan who announced his decision to contend the presidential race on Oct. 28, 2008, warned the people of the administrative requirements to have them registered as eligible voters and use their voting rights in the race.

He reiterated that his decision to contend the presidency was based on the increasing demand and request from numerous groups, from Sabang in the country's western-most tip to Merauke in the eastern most one, for his readiness to be nominated in the race.

Like other president nominees, Hamengkubuwono put on his shoulder the motto of restoration with which he was determined to revise all policies deemed not to take the people's side.

He said nation building should be based on the cultural pluralism for humanity's independence

Meanwhile, Fitrajaya Purnama, a youth activist and chairman of the gathering's organizing committee, said the province's population should become an integral part of the Indonesian people, who were apparently making repairs for the sake of the nation.

Referring to the Japanese Meiji Dynasty's restoration, he said that with the sultan's concept on restoration, Indonesia would be better in the future.

"The people in the province should make consolidation and to continue the past consolidation to make Indonesia better in the future," he shouted.

The presence of the sultan as a president nominee raised numerous questions and speculations during the gathering, because no political parties had nominated him as their presidential candidate despite his membership in Golkar Party.

The 2008 presidential and vice presidential election law states that only political parties with 20 percent of seats in the House of Representatives have their rights to nominate their candidates.

The sultan said he was still waiting to see what parties won the April 9 legislative election.

"Of course I did not go for political parties, but I am still waiting the results of the ongoing political process, " he said, adding that he would also join the Golkar's incoming convention to select presidential and vice presidential candidates if he won political support from Golkar's provincial chapters to do so.

After giving a lecture at Jember University on Thursday, Hamengkubuwono said he would step down if no political parties nominated him in the presidential race.

"Yet, I am still have large hopes, several chapters of the Golkar Party will support my nomination at the upcoming convention," he said.

Besides giving a lecture, the sultan also attended a meeting with hundreds of farmers and a prayer gathering with local Muslims at a pesantren (boarding house) in Kencong district in the regency.