Two of Democrat party`s best cadres vying for top seat by Fardah

     Jakarta, May 16, 2010 (ANTARA News) - The relatively new but very popular Democrat Party (PD) is going to hold a national congress to elect a new leader, with at least two of its best cadres, Andi Mallarangeng and Anas Urbaningrum, vying for the position.
    Another candidate for the party`s top job is Marzukie Alie, currently the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The party`s congress will take place in Bandung (West Java), May 21-23, 2010.

     The outcome of the race for the Democrat Party chairmanship is difficult to predict. Each candidate is making maximal efforts to be elected in the Congress, according to Burhanuddin Muhtadi, a political observer of the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI).
     "I think, the last moments will be crucial, including the blessing of SBY (President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono)," he said recently.
     He believed that the congress` participants would support whoever received SBY`s blessing, either Andi Malaranggeng, the present youth and sports minister, or Anas Urbaningrum, currently chairman of the Democrat Party faction at the Parliament.
     The fact that Eddhie Baskoro or known as Ibas, SBY`s son, has joined the success team of Andi Mallarangeng, symbolically indicated SBY`s support for Andi, he said.
     Since there is no explicit support from SBY to a certain candidate, however, he believes that both Anas and Andi had a 50:50 percent chance.

Marzuki Alie, the party`s former secretary general, has not officially declared his candidacy. He said he would not declare his candidacy but would rather wait for regional boards to nominate him during the congress.

Democrat Party associate chairman Andi Mallarangeng declared his bid for the party`s leadership for the 2010-2015 term in Jakarta, on March 28. 2010.

In his speech, Andi called on his competitors to maintain cooperation and friendly relationships with each other, especially to make the Democrat Party a big party devoted to the nation and state.

"To our promising cadres such as Marzuki Alie, Anas Urbaningrum and Agus Hermanto, I offer my friendship, cooperation and firm determination. Together we can," Andi Mallarangeng said.

Andi`s success team has claimed he had received the support of 89 percent of the party`s provincial and district chapters.

Andi Alifian Mallarangeng was born in Makassar, South Sulawesi, in March 1963. His father, Andi Mallarangeng (1936-1972), was mayor of a South Sulawesi town called Parepare.

Andi got a Doctor of Philosophy degree in political sciences from Northern Illinois University (NIU) Dekalb, Illinois, USA, in 1997. From the same university, he also received a Master of Science degree in sociology.
From 2004 to 2009, he was a spokesman of President SBY.

Meanwhile, Anas Urbaningrum, also an associate chairman of the party, on May 15 officially declared his intention to contest the election of a new party chairman at next week`s congress.

"With the blessings of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (the PD`s chief patron-Ed.), my party seniors, and the support of the executive boards of the party`s branches and sub-branches from Sabang to Merauke, I now declare my readiness to be a candidate for the Democrat Party chair for the period 2010-2015," he said.

Anas on the occasion called on the executive boards of the party`s regional branches and sub-branches "to compete in fair, civil and mature-minded ways."

Anas`s success team believes he has the support of around 70 percent of the party`s district and provincial branches.

Anas Urbaningrum was born in Blitar, East Java Province, on July 15, 1969.

He was chairman of the Muslim Student Association (HMI)`s Surabaya chapter for the period 1991-1992. From 1997-1998, he was chairman of the HMI central executive board.

He finished his studies at the University of Airlangga in Surabaya (East Java), in 1992, and continued his education for a Magisterial degree in political sciences at the Jakarta-based University of Indonesia in 2000. He is currently taking a doctorate program in political sciences at Yogyakarta-based University of Gajah Mada.

Anas was a member of the General Elections Commission (KPU) for the period of 2001-2005.

The Democrat Party was founded at the initiative of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Its founders included SBY, his wife Ani Yudhoyono and Profesor Subur Budhisantoso. It was established on September 9, 2001, but officially declared on August 27, 2003, to support the SBY candidacy in the 2004 presidential elections.

Profesor Subur Budhisantoso was the first chairman of the party and the current chairman is Hadi Utomo, SBY`s brother-in-law.

The Democrat Party won 61 percent of the vote in the 2009 presidential elections and now controls 37 percent of parliamentary seats.

To ensure sufficient support for the government, the PD has formed a coalition with other political parties, including the Golkar Party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the United Development Party (PPP).

Democrat Party Board of Patrons Chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to open the party`s Second Congress at Mason Pine Hotel in Padalarang, West Bandung district, West Java province, next Friday (May 21).

Chief organizer of the event Didik Mukrianto said the event will be attended by 1,200 participants from the branch executive boards of 497 districts/cities, and regional executive boards of 33 provinces, and the central executive board.

Besides the 1,200 participants, he said, the party`s second congress will also be attended by some 9,000 sympathizers, especially from Java island.

Andrinof Chaniago, a political observer of the University of Indonesia (UI) has described both candidates, Anas and Andi, as inseparable parts of the same boat.

"Anas Urbaningrum and Andi Mallarangeng each have their own merits and shortcomings, and they could complement each other," Andrinof Chaniago said in a discussion recently.

They both were figures who are very much needed by the party for the future, according to him.

"The two leaders are young and have character and spirit to take the party to a higher position," he said.

He suggested that whoever would win the competition, should ask the other candidate who lost, to closely work together `in order to keep their boat sailing`. (*)