FIVE years as the President's spokesman seems to have turned Andi Alfian Mallarangeng into Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's 'mouthpiece.' In October last year, he was appointed the Sports & Youth Minister in the new cabinet. Today, the 47-year-old Andi, who hails from Makassar, South Sulawesi is vying for the chairmanship of the Democrat Party established by Yudhoyono.

During his campaign, Yudhoyono's younger son Edhie Baskoro was often seen by his side, as