Golkar leader sees ghost of Old Order<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A senior executive of the ruling political group
\nGolkar says he is disturbed by the emergence of new organizations
\nusing names of defunct political parties of the Old Order era.<\/p>\n
Abdul Gafur, a deputy chairman of Golkar's central executive
\nboard, told a seminar on Saturday that although these new
\norganizations profess that their aim is to forge nationalism and
\nunity, they could actually undermine national unity.<\/p>\n
Gafur said he was concerned because these new organizations
\nseemed to present themselves as extensions of defunct political
\nparties of the Old Order.<\/p>\n
The Old Order is the phrase used to describe the
\nadministration of Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, who ruled
\nbetween 1945 and 1967. The term is used to distinguish it from
\nthe New Order, the official phrase used to describe the
\nadministration of President Soeharto since 1967.<\/p>\n
Gafur is one of the student leaders of 1966 who mobilized
\nmassive street demonstrations that led to the downfall of Sukarno
\nand ushered the rise of Soeharto to power.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, he and colleagues from his university days
\ngrouped in Fosko 66 (a study and communication forum) organized a
\nseminar to discuss the presence of the new organizations.<\/p>\n
\"As an exponent of the 1966 Generation, we are concerned at
\nthis development because apparently they want to pull back the
\npendulum to the past,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He maintained that his concern was not due to a fear of these
\nnew organizations threatening Golkar's dominance, but because
\nthey could sow discord in society and ultimately threaten
\nnational unity.<\/p>\n
At least three new organizations have emerged in recent months
\nthat use acronyms or abbreviations similar to political parties
\nthat were popular in the 1950s and 1960s. They are the new PNI,
\nthe new Parkindo and the new Masyumi, respectively named after
\nthe old nationalist, Christian and Moslem parties.<\/p>\n
\"After this, we could even have a new PSI,\" Gafur said
\nreferring to the old Indonesian Socialist Party.<\/p>\n
The number of political parties allowed to contest elections
\nwas streamlined in 1973 to only three -- Golkar, the United
\nDevelopment Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party. Subsequent
\nlaws barred the parties from using religions as their ideology.<\/p>\n
Gafur underlined the need for caution in treating the new
\norganizations, because they are old parties wrapped in new
\nlabels. \"The content is the same,\" he remarked.<\/p>\n
\"Looking at their content, we should be alert. Especially
\nsince the new Masyumi has stated that it intends to be a new
\npolitical party in the future,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He contended that if there is dissatisfaction or adverse
\neffects from the current political and economic conditions, then
\npeople should address them through the proper channels.<\/p>\n
\"Let's join the already existing organizations and work to
\nimprove things from there...Does forming new organizations solve
\nthe problems? I think not,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In contrast to Gafur, the Armed Forces (ABRI) took a more
\nneutral position about these new organizations, saying that it
\ndid not see any problem, even in their choice of names, as long
\nas they comply with regulations.<\/p>\n
ABRI Chief spokesman Brig. Gen. Suwarno Adiwijoyo told Antara
\non Saturday said one of the reasons for their emergence is
\npeople's discontent about the performance of existing political
\nand mass organizations in representing their interests.<\/p>\n
But another reason is simply because there are now greater
\npolitical openness, Suwarno said. \"They are taking advantage of
\nthe openness permitted by the government.\" (mds\/emb)<\/p>\n
Masyumi -- Page 2<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/golkar-leader-sees-ghost-of-old-order-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }