SRI Now Waiting for Sri Mulyani to Come Aboard

Jakarta Globe, Arientha Primanita, November 30, 2012

Former Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati. (EPA Photo/Bagus Indahono)

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The fledgling political party with lofty ambitions to nominate former Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati for president in 2014 said on Thursday that it had everything in place to proceed.

Efika Rosemarie, a spokeswoman for the Independent People’s Union (SRI) Party, said the party was optimistic that Sri Mulyani would return to Indonesia once her term as a managing director of the World Bank finished at the end of 2013.

“We’ve already prepared her political vehicle, so when she comes back to Indonesia, she’ll be ready to roll,” Efika said.

“We want Sri Mulyani to run for president, not for vice president.”

Sri Mulayani, who is in no way affiliated with the party, has acknowledged SRI’s intention to nominate her but has not said whether she will run for president.

The party’s reaffirmation of its intent comes days after the body overseeing polling authorities ruled that SRI and 17 other parties that failed to pass the first part of the administrative verification process could still contest the 2014 elections.

Jimly Asshiddiqie, the chief of the Election Organizers Ethics Council (DKPP), announced on Tuesday that his organization had approved a request from the Elections Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) and election watchdog Sigma that the General Election Commission (KPU) allow previously rejected parties to run in the elections.

On Thursday, SRI chairman Damianus Taufan warned the House of Representatives not to question the DKPP’s decision, saying that such a move would be considered meddling in the democratic process.

“It’s possible that they could try to meddle with the KPU commissioners later. That could compromise the KPU’s independence in carrying out its responsibilities,” he said.