REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Golkar Party sees Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP)'s presidential candidate Joko "Jokowi" Widodo as its sparring partner rather than political opponent in the 2014 presidential election, its deputy secretary general Musfihin Dahlan said.

"The Golkar Party does not consider Jokowi to be a political enemy and opponent but it sees him as its sparring partner," Musfihin said at a discussion on "The Effect of Jokowi's Presidential Candidacy and Strategy of Political Parties in the 2014 Presidential Election" here on Sunday.

The Golkar Party appreciated the PDIP's decision to pick Jokowi who is now Jakarta governor as its presidential candidate, he said.

He said Jokowi's presidential candidacy also has an impact on the constellation of the Golkar Party's internal affairs although it has officially named its party chairman Aburizal Bakri as a presidential candidate.

"There has been discourse within the Golkar Party. If it gains less than 20 percent of the votes cast in the legislative election, the naming of Aburizal Bakri as its presidential candidate may be evaluated at the national leadership meeting after the legislative election," he said.

The Golkar Party is a dynamic party which always pays attention to political developments, he said.

"Let's see whether or not the Golkar Party can meet its 30 percent vote tally target. If its vote tally is less than 20 percent, it will be discussed at the national leadership meeting," he said.

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