The Maneuver from Melbourne

ABURIZAL Bakrie chose to prepare for Golkar's extraordinary national congress from Melbourne, Australia. He left Jakarta two days after Yasonna H. Laoly, the justice and human rights minister, legally acknowledged the party leadership that resulted from Golkar's Riau national congress. Golkar's chairman flew with a posse that included Nurdin Halid, Idrus Marham, Fuad Hasan Mansyur and Yorrys Raweyai. On Bakrie's private jet, they left for Melbourne last Saturday.

A Golkar politician said Bakrie had been quick to devise a strategy because the preparatory committee for the congress would be announced in a plenary session this week. Nurdin and Yorrys, it is said, will lead the congress. Nurdin succeeded in preparing the way for Bakrie to prevail at the Bali congress. "Yorrys successfully held a rival national congress at Ancol," said someone in Bakrie's inner circle.

February 2, 2016