Indonesia's second largest party chooses new leader

Aburizal Bakrie won competition to grab position as the new leader of Golkar Party, Indonesia's second largest party, on an election early Thursday, replacing Jusuf Kalla who is also the country's vice president, Kompas.com online news reported.

Bakrie who is also the Minister for People's Welfare will serve for 2009-2015. At a national conference in Riau province, Bakrie got 295 votes, beating his closest rival Surya Paloh, a media patron, who obtained 240 votes, Yuddy Chrisnandi (zero) and Tommy Soeharto, son of former Indonesia's President Soeharto (zero).

Bakrie, also known with his nickname Ical, said that his victory was not just for him, but also for his party and the nation.

According to him, the election process in Golkar's national conference is the party's success in democracy.

"We showed a tight competition but we are still friends. We are together here at the highest forum of the party that appointed me to become its chairman for 2009-2015. Thank for your supports," said Bakrie in his victory speech.

He also asked all party's cadres to work and arise from downfall. According to him, two election results, legislative and presidential elections, should awake the party not to be drifted away.

"Our position is not the biggest party. But we don't have to be sad. Our quality as a party is tested not while we are defeated but when we arise from the downfall," he said.

Meanwhile, Surya Paloh only gave brief statement when he was asked about Bakrie's victory.

"Don't be sad, we still have future," said Paloh.

At the legislative elections on April, Golkar was beaten by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party. While at the presidential election, the party's chairman Yusuf Kalla was beaten by Yudhoyono.

Source: Xinhua