Indonesia's Golkar party poised to elect Jokowi ally as chief

JAKARTA — Golkar, Indonesia's second-largest political party, is expected to inaugurate a key ally of President Joko Widodo as its new chief on Wednesday (Aug 21), a move party members say could enable the outgoing president to retain influence after he steps down in October.

Bahlil Lahadalia, the newly appointed energy minister and the president's right-hand man, is poised to be confirmed as the chair of the Suharto-era party after he was approved as the sole candidate, two Golkar members told Reuters.

"All the regional chief have declared their support for Bahlil. This afternoon, we will officially announce him as the new chairman," Ace Hasan Syadzily, senior party member, said.

Golkar was originally scheduled to hold its annual congress in December, but the surprise resignation of Airlangga Hartarto as chair last weekend saw the event brought forward. The two-day meeting ends on Wednesday.

Golkar members have said that Jokowi, as Indonesia's popular president is known, has been quietly angling to shore up his power base through the party before leaving office after serving the maximum two terms, Reuters reported in March.

Four Golkar sources, speaking on the sidelines of the congress on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that Bahlil's appointment would help enable Jokowi to secure his post-presidential legacy.

Bahlil and spokespeople for the president's and Bahlil's offices did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

President-elect Prabowo Subianto and Jokowi's eldest son, vice-president-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka, will be inaugurated as the country's new leaders on October 20.

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