January 03, 2013
 |
| Surya Paloh |
Nasdem Chair Shuts Down Speculation of Rift Between
Surya and Hary
Ezra Sihite, SP/Robertus Wardi & Markus Junianto Sihaloho
Ezra Sihite, SP/Robertus Wardi & Markus Junianto Sihaloho
The
National Democratic Party has denied talks of a rift between its two most
high-profile officials, following speculation that an ongoing power grab could
cripple the party’s ambitious plans for a strong showing in its electoral debut
next year.
Patrice Rio Capella, the chairman of the party known as Nasdem, refuted on Wednesday all rumors of a rift between Surya Paloh and Hary Tanoesoedibjo.
“There is no rift. All our members are concentrating on winning the [2014 legislative] election,” Rio said.
Any talk of a split, he added, “is a lie.”
Surya, a former Golkar Party stalwart and owner of Metro TV and the Media Indonesia broadsheet, founded the National Democrat social organization from which the party originated.
Hary serves as chairman of the party’s board of advisers. He was named by Forbes as the 29th richest person in the country last November, thanks in large part to his ownership of the Media Nusantara Citra conglomerate.
Although Hary joined the party on Surya’s invitation several months after it was established, observers say he has now overtaken the co-founder as the dominant force behind Nasdem.
Speculation is mounting that he is seeking to consolidate his power over the party as part of a rivalry with Surya, who has increasingly been replaced by Hary as the public face of the party over the past year.
A source inside the party told the Jakarta Globe that Hary was “slowly but surely” squeezing Surya out.
“Hary seems to want to control Nasdem. We don’t know yet what his target is. Perhaps there’s someone behind him, maybe the Cendana clan,” the source said, referring to the family of the late Suharto.
The source warned that the rift could hurt the party in the 2014 legislative election, the first poll the party will be eligible for since its establishment in 2011, and one in which it is seeking to win 31 percent of votes.
The ruling Democratic Party, which won the most votes in the 2009 poll, managed just 20.8 percent back then.
The Nasdem source said that since Hary joined the party in November 2011, he had appointed his own people to key posts within the organization, making it increasingly difficult for Surya to have a say.
Arya Fernandez, an analyst with the Charta Politika, said last week that the biggest challenge facing the party ahead of the election was to prevent a split between its two figureheads. “If that happens, Nasdem will quickly wilt before it even has the chance to blossom,” he said.
Patrice Rio Capella, the chairman of the party known as Nasdem, refuted on Wednesday all rumors of a rift between Surya Paloh and Hary Tanoesoedibjo.
“There is no rift. All our members are concentrating on winning the [2014 legislative] election,” Rio said.
Any talk of a split, he added, “is a lie.”
Surya, a former Golkar Party stalwart and owner of Metro TV and the Media Indonesia broadsheet, founded the National Democrat social organization from which the party originated.
Hary serves as chairman of the party’s board of advisers. He was named by Forbes as the 29th richest person in the country last November, thanks in large part to his ownership of the Media Nusantara Citra conglomerate.
Although Hary joined the party on Surya’s invitation several months after it was established, observers say he has now overtaken the co-founder as the dominant force behind Nasdem.
Speculation is mounting that he is seeking to consolidate his power over the party as part of a rivalry with Surya, who has increasingly been replaced by Hary as the public face of the party over the past year.
A source inside the party told the Jakarta Globe that Hary was “slowly but surely” squeezing Surya out.
“Hary seems to want to control Nasdem. We don’t know yet what his target is. Perhaps there’s someone behind him, maybe the Cendana clan,” the source said, referring to the family of the late Suharto.
The source warned that the rift could hurt the party in the 2014 legislative election, the first poll the party will be eligible for since its establishment in 2011, and one in which it is seeking to win 31 percent of votes.
The ruling Democratic Party, which won the most votes in the 2009 poll, managed just 20.8 percent back then.
The Nasdem source said that since Hary joined the party in November 2011, he had appointed his own people to key posts within the organization, making it increasingly difficult for Surya to have a say.
Arya Fernandez, an analyst with the Charta Politika, said last week that the biggest challenge facing the party ahead of the election was to prevent a split between its two figureheads. “If that happens, Nasdem will quickly wilt before it even has the chance to blossom,” he said.
