A 40-year-old politician on Sunday won a surprising victory over the two top contenders in the election to lead Indonesia's largest political party, AP reported. Anas Urbaningrum was elected chairman of the Democratic Party in a two-part vote Sunday at the conclusion of the party's three-day Congress in the west Java city of Bandung, party official Evert Ernst Mangindaan announced. The outcome shows that the party of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is looking to a younger generation of politicians to take on the political maneuvering necessary to stand off against the opposition or even pro-government coalition parties. «The young figure who has character and spirit is very much needed by the party for the future, and Urbaningrum fits the bill,» said political analyst Andrinof Chaniago from the University of Indonesia. In a surprising turn of events, popular Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng, 47, was ousted in the first round of votes, despite being widely expected to win the chairmanship and having Yudhoyono's son as his campaign leader. -- SPA
