REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Political analyst of Political Communication (Polcomm) Institute, Heri Budianto, said that Golkar Party must learn from history when the former biggest party defeated in 2004 and 2009 presidential election. Budianto predicts the party will suffer another defeat by picking Aburizal Bakrie as presidential candidate.
"Golkar won the 2004 legislative election and ranked the second in 2009, but the party failed in any presidential election," Budianto said recently.
In 2014 general election, the party came in second place after Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP). Budianto suggested another strategy if Golkar Party wanted to win the next election. Among others, he said that the party must review its decision to pick Bakrie whose electability was low.
Budianto said that Golkar Party could pick other figure like Chairman of Golkar's executive board, Priyo Budi Santoso as presidential candidate. He added that Santoso who currently sat as vice chairman of House of Representative had high level of electability.