'Golkar committed to clean government'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Golkar chairman Harmoko said yesterday that the
\nruling political grouping is committed to the establishment of a
\nclean government.<\/p>\n
Addressing a year-end press conference, Harmoko pledged that
\nGolkar would continue to fight corruption and collusion. Its
\ncampaign for a clean government, he said, would be conducted in
\nlegally accepted ways.<\/p>\n
\"Since its establishment (in 1964) Golkar has always been
\ncommitted to the creation of a clean government,\" said Harmoko at
\nthe ruling party's headquarters in Slipi, West Jakarta. He was
\naccompanied by other Golkar leaders.<\/p>\n
In its campaign against corruption, however, Golkar will
\ncarefully uphold the presumption of innocence principle, Harmoko
\npledged.<\/p>\n
The chairman was referring to the allegations of corruption
\nrecently leveled at Minister of Transportation Haryanto
\nDhanutirto.<\/p>\n
Harmoko made the remarks a few hours before Minister\/State
\nSecretary Moerdiono announced that Haryanto had been cleared of
\nall corruption charges and that the case was considered closed by
\nPresident Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Moerdiono said the alleged violations were administrative
\nmistakes.<\/p>\n
The alleged violations, listed in three classified documents
\nwritten by Inspector General of Development Kentot Harseno, were
\nleaked and picked up by the media several weeks ago.<\/p>\n
Harmoko said yesterday that Vice President Try Sutrisno, who
\nholds supervision authority over all ministries, is working to
\nget to the bottom of the leaked state secrets.<\/p>\n
\"If allegations of corruption are not supported by strong
\nevidence, (this amounts to) slander, which will (also) face legal
\nmechanisms,\" Harmoko said as quoted by the Antara news agency.<\/p>\n
Golkar does not develop thoughts and comments which run
\ncounter to the existing \"mechanisms\", Harmoko told reporters.<\/p>\n
In the year-end statement, Golkar noted progress in democracy
\nthroughout the year, despite various instances of corruption,
\ncollusion and other abuses of power.<\/p>\n
\"We must admit that political openness...reached a significant
\npoint in 1995. The freedom of the public to convey their opinions
\nand the rise of new mass organizations... are proof of openness
\nand democratization,\" Harmoko said.<\/p>\n
Harmoko is also Minister of Information.<\/p>\n
However, he said, corruption, collusion and the behavior of
\n\"certain government officials...sacrifice the interests of the
\npowerless.\"<\/p>\n
Golkar called for \"the empowerment of the people's economy\" so
\nthat more people, especially the poor, can benefit from economic
\ngrowth. \"It is an agenda which needs to be (implemented) more
\nintensively,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The statement, however, did not touch on the frequently raised
\nneed for an anti-monopoly law.<\/p>\n
Harmoko said that a conducive climate for the development of a
\n\"people's economy\" starts with the Bill on Small Enterprises,
\nwhich was recently approved by the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
The statement also called for the maintenance of food security
\nby halting the conversion of agricultural land for industrial
\npurposes.<\/p>\n
Regarding the 1997 general elections, Golkar does not believe
\nin winning elections \"just for the sake of winning\". Rather, he
\nsaid, Golkar strongly believes that \"victory in elections is for
\nthe sake of development and the people's welfare.\"<\/p>\n
Although the political climate has been heating up, \"national
\nstability has gone undisturbed\" because of the public's \"more
\nmature\" and increased awareness of politics. (anr)<\/p>",
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