Golkar decides new role<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Golkar Party held a coordination meeting Tuesday evening to
\ndiscuss its new political stance following the election of Vice
\nPresident Jusuf Kalla as its chairman.<\/p>\n
Tuesday's meeting was presided over by vice chairman Agung
\nLaksono and attended by the party's chairpersons, Secretary-
\nGeneral Sumarsono and some of his deputies.<\/p>\n
\"Golkar chairman Jusuf Kalla is expected to chair another
\nconsolidation meeting at the party headquarters on Thursday,\"
\nsaid Priyo Budi Santoso, a Golkar deputy secretary-general
\nTuesday evening.<\/p>\n
Kalla beat former Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung in a party
\nelection Sunday morning to lead the country's largest political
\norganization for the next five years.<\/p>\n
The election of Kalla effectively positioned Golkar as a
\nruling party, despite the fact that it supported the reelection
\nof former president Megawati Soekarnoputri in the election
\nrunoff.<\/p>\n
Priyo said the chairmanship handover from Akbar to Kalla would
\nautomatically bring changes to the party's political agendas.<\/p>\n
He was apparently referring to Kalla's statement in his first
\nspeech as Golkar chairman that he would not sustain the so-called
\nNationhood Coalition.<\/p>\n
Aside from Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI-P), members of the Nationhood Coalition also
\ninclude the Reform Star Party (PBR) and the Prosperous Peace
\nParty (PDS).<\/p>\n
Following Megawati's crushing defeat in the Sept. 20 runoff,
\nthe coalition had positioned itself as an opposition force in the
\nHouse of Representatives (DPR).<\/p>\n
\"There are always changes in politics. That is normal,\" Priyo
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Another Golkar leader, Burhanuddin Napitupulu, was upbeat that
\nall Golkar legislators would follow any decision of their new
\nparty chairman.<\/p>\n
He claimed that Golkar was a modern political party that its
\nmembers would follow any decision made after fierce arguments
\namong themselves.<\/p>\n
Separately, Akbar suggested that Golkar keep its commitment to
\nbuilding a check and balance mechanism through by maintaining its
\nmembership in the Nationhood Coalition.<\/p>\n
\"There is no reason to dissolve the Nationhood Coalition as it
\nis designed to empower the legislature,\" he told a press briefing
\nhere on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Also attending the briefing were Golkar legislators Ade
\nKomaruddin, Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, M. Akil Mochtar and Musfihin
\nDahlan.<\/p>\n
Akbar said his accountability report, including the formation
\nof the Nationhood Coalition, had been accepted by participants in
\nthe party congress in Bali.<\/p>\n
Akbar used the press briefing to criticize the composition of
\nGolkar's executive board, including the creation of the position
\nof vice chairman.<\/p>\n
\"Principally I disagree with the position of vice chairman,
\nwhich is clearly set up simply to give somebody a position in the
\nparty. I have been 40 years in Golkar and only now I see the
\npresence of a vice chairman's post,\" Akbar said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/golkar-decides-new-role-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}