Adi unfazed by Golkar dismissal<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises
\nAdi Sasono played down on Monday Golkar's decision to dismiss him
\nas deputy chairman, saying he had long anticipated it.<\/p>\n
Adi said before a Cabinet meeting at Bina Graha presidential
\noffice that he had offered to resign as a Golkar top executive in
\nJanuary, just three months after his admission into the party's
\ninner circle, after realizing his political activities were
\nincompatible with his ministerial job.<\/p>\n
\"I found it difficult to conform my duties as a minister who
\ndeals with ordinary people to those assigned by the party. That's
\nwhy I wrote to the Golkar chairman in January, suggesting that I
\nresign,\" Adi said.<\/p>\n
Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung announced Adi's dismissal
\nfollowing a plenary executive meeting on Sunday, citing the
\nlatter's alleged involvement in the People's Sovereignty Party
\n(PDR). Adi was deemed negligent to his duties as Golkar's
\ncoordinator in Central Java and chief of cooperatives and small
\nenterprises affairs.<\/p>\n
Another Golkar deputy chairman, Slamet Effendy Yusuf, took
\nover Adi's unfinished party duties.<\/p>\n
Adi would not comment on his link to PDR, one of the 48
\nparties contesting the June 7 polls, but said that the fact that
\nhe contributed nothing to Golkar was behind his offer to resign
\nfrom the ruling party.<\/p>\n
\"Instead of putting Golkar chairman in a difficult position,
\nI'd rather quit,\" Adi said.<\/p>\n
He admitted that he had a close relationship with PDR
\nexecutives, including the party's secretary-general Djumhur
\nHidayat.<\/p>\n
\"As a minister of cooperatives and small enterprises I have to
\nbuild good friendships with all parties which struggle for the
\nlower class. If I have a good relationship with Kwik Kian Gie it
\ndoesn't mean I've joined PDI Perjuangan. Djumhur is a longtime
\nfriend. My friendship with him could not be regarded my joining
\nPDR,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Adi became a thorn in Golkar's side when he refused to
\ncampaign for the party, which is facing popular opposition due to
\nits previous support of the fallen New Order regime.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the General Elections Commission barred Cabinet
\nministers and other high-ranking state officials from campaigning
\nfor parties fighting for House of Representative seats on June 7.
\nThe ruling forced Akbar to give up his post as minister\/state
\nsecretary.<\/p>\n
Both Golkar and PDR are now facing allegations of using state
\nfunds allocated for the social safety net program for party
\ninterests.<\/p>\n
State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Agung Laksono, who
\nis Golkar's other deputy chairman, said Adi had lost his post as
\nparty executive but not his membership.<\/p>\n
\"The Golkar secretariat today (Monday) sent the letter of
\n(Adi's) dismissal as member of the executive board,\" Agung, who
\nalso attended the Cabinet meeting, said.<\/p>\n
Agung said some provincial chapters had earlier complained
\nabout Adi's failure to undertake his duties and proposed his
\nremoval.<\/p>\n
PDR, a party aiming at empowering common people and their
\neconomic resources, has nominated incumbent President B.J.
\nHabibie and Adi as its tentative presidential candidates. Both
\nHabibie and Adi, key figures behind the Association of Indonesian
\nMuslim Intellectuals (ICMI), are known to be friends.<\/p>\n
When asked about PDR's plan to nominate him as the next
\npresident, Adi refused to talk too much. \"If it is the people's
\nmandate, I will accept the nomination,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Support, meanwhile, came in for Adi's presidential bid on
\nMonday. The chief of PDR's East Kalimantan chapter, Sukamto, said
\nin the provincial capital of Samarinda that Adi deserved the
\nnomination because of his interest in a people-oriented economy.<\/p>\n
Sukamto said as quoted by Antara that the chapter would only
\nname its presidential candidate after a plenary meeting, which
\nwould be held after the June elections. He did not deny Adi had a
\nchance of being named the candidate.<\/p>\n
The PDR's de facto nomination of Adi as presidential candidate
\nwas made public through a full-page party advertisement in the
\nmedia last week.<\/p>\n
Separately, political observer Daniel Sparringga said Adi's
\nremoval was part of Golkar's move to \"cleanse\" unclear supporters
\nand to give the party a new image.<\/p>\n
\"Golkar and PDR are on different tracks, making it difficult
\nfor Akbar to tolerate Adi's involvement in PDR. Many of Golkar
\nexecutives have urged Akbar to develop a new vision in order to
\nrestore the public's trust,\" Daniel of Surabaya's Airlangga
\nUniversity said.<\/p>\n
Daniel said Adi's dismissal was a win-win solution for both
\nGolkar and PDR. \"Golkar can now focus on the campaign for its new
\nvision, while PDR can garner votes from former Golkar members,\"
\nhe said. (gis\/prb\/amd)<\/p>",
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