Golkar and ABRI committed to reform<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The powerful Golkar and Armed Forces factions in
\nthe People's Consultative Assembly committed themselves yesterday
\nto political reform, but agreed to opt for a slow pace of change.<\/p>\n
\"Golkar is ready to (introduce) reform now that the people are
\nready... (but not) revolutionary reform (which) changes the
\npolitical structures,\" said Nazaruddin Syamsudin of Golkar in a
\nmedia briefing.<\/p>\n
His colleague Rully Chairul Azwar promised in the same
\nbriefing that the ruling organization would actively bring about
\npolitical reform in the next five years of development. \"But we
\nwant gradual reform,\" he stressed.<\/p>\n
\"The Armed Forces (ABRI) supports (those seeking) reform but
\nwon't tolerate any campaigns for drastic political reform...
\nbecause of the high risk that it will destroy the nation,\" ABRI
\nfaction chief Lt. Gen. Yunus Yosfiah said separately.<\/p>\n
Lt. Gen. Hari Sabarno, the leader of the ABRI faction in the
\nHouse of Representatives, concurred. \"ABRI rejects radical
\npolitical reform because it may change the order of the nation,
\nwhich is (focused) on development,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The General Session began amid growing calls for economic and
\npolitical reforms voiced by many groups in society. Intellectuals
\nand students have been at the forefront of those making the
\ncalls, staging a series of demonstrations to express their
\nconcern over the economic crisis and to demand reform.<\/p>\n
The Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP) faction made a
\nreference Wednesday to the need for political reform in its
\noverview of President Soeharto's accountability speech delivered
\nSunday. The party specifically wanted to see the laws that
\nregulate the country's political life amended.<\/p>\n
Some of the student protesters have defined reform as the
\nabolition of some political laws that allegedly curtail the
\nrights of certain social and political organizations -- a
\ncampaign which Golkar has resisted. Others have spelled out
\nreforms as limiting the presidential term of office, or simply as
\nhaving a new president.<\/p>\n
Rully said Golkar was committed to giving more opportunities
\nto its two political rivals -- PPP and the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty (PDI) -- to be involved in the organization of the 2002
\ngeneral election.<\/p>\n
For instance, Golkar plans to involve PPP and PDI officers in
\nvoter registration committees and during ballot counting. This
\nwould be a change to the practices of previous elections that
\nbenefited Golkar at the expense of the two small parties.<\/p>\n
Nazaruddin, a staff lecturer at the University of Indonesia's
\nSchool of Social and Political Sciences, said there should be no
\nquestion about Golkar's commitment to reform.<\/p>\n
\"Do not look at Golkar with suspicion... we are now led by
\nyoung leaders and they are committed to political reform,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He defined political reform as fundamental change in the
\npolitical structures and functions, \"so it may be said to be
\nalmost a revolution.\"<\/p>\n
Nazarudin evaded further questions about the kind of reforms
\nthat he believed would be implemented by Golkar.<\/p>\n
Hari Sabarno said that the political reform that PPP had
\nsought in its statement Wednesday referred more to \"cultural
\nreform, a change in the political ethics and culture,\" rather
\nthan structural change.<\/p>\n
He questioned whether the country, at its current stage of
\ndemocracy, would benefit should PPP's demands be met.<\/p>\n
Another Golkar member, Gunawan Sumodiningrat, rejected the PPP
\nand PDI suggestion that the economic crisis and efforts to settle
\nit be included in the draft of the State Policy Guidelines
\ncurrently under deliberation. The document is drawn up by Golkar.<\/p>\n
\"The economic crisis is too technical a matter (so cannot be
\nincluded in) the State Policy Guidelines which only contain
\nguidance on policies,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Before the General Session opened Assembly Deputy Speaker
\nAbdul Gafur of Golkar said the State Policy Guidelines draft did
\nnot need to be changed because all of the material in it had been
\nofficially submitted to the Assembly leadership for discussion in
\nits own sessions.<\/p>\n
Nazaruddin, however, said yesterday that the draft policy
\nguidelines did implicitly touch upon the monetary crisis in a
\nsection which addressed globalization.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot find the words monetary or economic crisis, but we
\nhave covered them already in the section 'impacts of
\nglobalization'\", he said. (byg)<\/p>",
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