THE first endorsement came from a group of Golkar Party elders at the start of the month. But Wiranto, 57, only acted when support from other elements in the party started coming in. Then came Thursday last week, when the retired four-star general announced he was ready to be a candidate in the race for the Golkar chair.

Wiranto called his decision a ‘calling,’ but a number of obstacles stand in his way in the upcoming Golkar Party