Golkar executive board condemned<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Golkar board of patrons blasted its
\nexecutive board yesterday for being late in anticipating and
\nresponding to calls for reform.<\/p>\n
The meeting, chaired by President B.J. Habibie and attended by
\nthe likes of former vice president Try Sutrisno, former defense
\nminister Edi Sudradjat and Minister\/State Secretary Akbar
\nTandjung, also reproached the executive board for failing to
\nreact positively and imbue a sense of calm on the people
\nfollowing the May riots.<\/p>\n
\"Golkar leaders have been slow to anticipate developments in
\nthe progress of reform and late in taking necessary action to
\ncomply with the spirit of the movement,\" Try Sutrisno, deputy
\nchairman the board, said.<\/p>\n
\"We (the board of patrons) can thus understand why Golkar's
\nregional chapters have asked for an extraordinary Congress, and
\neven why many of them have asked the executive board to resign,\"
\nhe said reading out the board's recommendations for next
\nThursday's extraordinary Golkar congress.<\/p>\n
Former president Soeharto, who is the Chief Patron of Golkar,
\ndid not attend the meeting at the board's headquarters on Jl.
\nTeuku Umar in Menteng, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Soeharto was believed to have been represented in the meeting
\nby Try.<\/p>\n
Among the 25 members who attended were Coordinating Minister
\nfor Development Supervision and State Administrative Reform
\nHartarto, former religious affairs minister Tarmizi Taher, former
\ncoordinating minister for people's welfare Azwar Anas, and former
\nenvironment minister Sarwono Kusumaatmadja.<\/p>\n
The gathering was held at Soeharto's request after he
\ncanceled a meeting planned for last Monday between Golkar leaders
\nand representatives of the Armed Forces and the bureaucracy at
\nthe last minute.<\/p>\n
Soeharto's move shows that he is still calling the shots at
\nGolkar even after resigning from the presidency, and came amid
\nspeculation that he is trying to make a political comeback
\nthrough the organization.<\/p>\n
Golkar, the dominant political group for the last 32 years, is
\nscheduled to hold an extraordinary congress on Thursday to review
\nits position and possibly seek the ouster of executive chairman
\nHarmoko.<\/p>\n
A statement made by Harmoko, in his capacity as Speaker of the
\nHouse of Representatives, calling for Soeharto to resign in May
\nwas one of the crucial turning points which led to Soeharto's
\nresignation.<\/p>\n
Try said last night that Golkar needs to first reform itself
\nand respond positively to the people's aspirations.<\/p>\n
\"The board of patrons, advisors and councilors, as well as the
\nthree major Golkar groupings -- the Armed Forces, the bureaucracy
\nand the Representatives of Social and Religious Groups -- must be
\nreviewed and adjusted in a bid to comply with the aspirations of
\nthe people and the coming future,\" he said reading from the
\nstatement.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile Sarwono denounced Golkar's executive board as
\nhypocrites.<\/p>\n
\"It was Golkar's executive board who renominated Pak Harto for
\nthe presidency,\" he told journalists. \"So why then was it them
\nwho also asked him to step down?\"<\/p>\n
The secretary to the board of patrons Akbar Tandjung said it
\nwould be the privilege of the extraordinary congress to respond
\nto the board's recommendations.<\/p>\n
Asked about the board's possessive behavior toward the
\nexecutive board, Akbar said it was the natural consequence of the
\nboard of patrons existence.<\/p>\n
\"That's the reason why the board should be abolished,\" he told
\njournalists at the end of the meeting. (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/golkar-executive-board-condemned-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}