Golkar may again act as 'kingmaker'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Former ruling party Golkar could again step into
\nthe limelight as \"kingmaker\" as it openly dallies with a possible
\npresidency-saving compromise, while at the same time forging
\nahead with preparations for the special session of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly which could unseat Abdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
While many political pundits had given up on Abdurrahman's
\nsurvival as president, events over the past fortnight have
\nsignaled an ostensible momentum for a political deal.<\/p>\n
Talk of compromise has been fueled by Golkar's suggestive, and
\nsometimes seemingly inadvertent, rhetoric hinting at a power-
\nsharing deal.<\/p>\n
While Akbar has downplayed the suggestion as an \"idea for
\ndiscussion\", he and United Development Party chairman Hamzah Haz
\nalso openly admitted that they had met with aides to the
\nPresident to discuss the issues at stake.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, Golkar is publicly asserting that it is
\nstill full steam ahead with the special session and the call for
\nthe President to account for his administration.<\/p>\n
Akbar on Wednesday was also given carte blanche by his party
\nwhen at the end of a working meeting here, it gave the central
\nexecutive board the freedom to decide on the best course of
\naction to take during the special session.<\/p>\n
Akbar stressed that during the last meeting with presidential
\naides, \"no agreement was reached.\"<\/p>\n
However, he revealed that there were 10 points of discussion
\nwhich included the official handover of the daily affairs of
\ngovernment to the Vice President.<\/p>\n
Akbar also said that he had conveyed the idea to other
\nparties, such as the National Mandate Party, and to Assembly
\nspeaker Amien Rais and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
\"Ibu Mega did not give any response at all because she was
\nconcentrating more on other topics. I never explicitly mentioned
\nthe idea to pak Amien but we have discussed this. I don't think
\nthere is a problem,\" he remarked.<\/p>\n
\"I have been mooting the idea for two months now. There was a
\nchance for me to develop the suggestion, so I did. But we did not
\nget any agreement,\" Akbar asserted.<\/p>\n
Separately, PPP Secretary-General Alimarwan Hanan also played
\ndown talk of a compromise and a possible wavering of his party's
\nsupport for the special session.<\/p>\n
\"It's just a suggestion from certain people who want to look
\nfor the best solution, and not a political decision. So we'll
\njust have to wait and see what the next move will be,\" Alimarwan
\ntold The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
However, he admitted that with \"certain political support\",
\nthe idea may change the purpose of the coming special session.<\/p>\n
\"Currently, our party's stance remains in favor of holding the
\nspecial session and to ask for the president's accountability,
\nbut if the idea receives certain political support then maybe we
\nwill continue with the special session but for a different
\npurpose,\" Alimarwan remarked.<\/p>\n
He said the latest meeting was held on Monday night at Hamzah
\nHaz's residence.<\/p>\n
Should Golkar, the PPP and Abdurrahman's own National
\nAwakening Party decide to line up behind a compromise, they would
\ncreate a formidable bloc with 309 votes in the 700-seat Assembly<\/p>\n
Golkar has 182 seats, the PPP 70 and the PKB 57.<\/p>\n
A factor which may be encouraging the momentum for compromise
\nis the apparent inactivity of the PDI Perjuangan, whose
\nchairwoman, Vice President Megawati, has said little to explain
\nher vision of the future despite being publicly touted as
\nAbdurrahman's successor.<\/p>\n
Despite occupying 185 seats in the Assembly, it could again
\nlose out in the political battlefield as it did in 1999.<\/p>\n
Fissures within PDI Perjuangan ranks have also become evident
\nwith the party proposing an open vote on the President's
\naccountability report, a reflection of fears of a breakaway
\nfaction within the party's ranks.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, PAN secretary-general Hatta Radjasa remained
\nconfident that Golkar and the PPP would not deviate in their
\nstances ahead of the special session.<\/p>\n
\"We still believe that their parties' stances are consistent
\nwith a special session and the demanding of presidential
\naccountability. This is merely a discussion between them,\" Hatta
\ntold the Post.<\/p>\n
The Abdurrahman camp on Wednesday voiced conflicting views on
\nwhether the President would make good his threat to impose a
\nstate of civil emergency if a compromise could not be reached.<\/p>\n
At a meeting with martial arts' masters from Banten province
\nat the residence of actor Ratno Timoer in Duren Tiga, South
\nJakarta on Wednesday evening, Abdurrahman said he would still
\nannounce the state of emergency on Friday \"but it will be
\neffective from July 31\" pending a possible compromise.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the afternoon in Bali, the President claimed that
\n\"positive\" developments had been achieved in the negotiations
\nbetween party leaders.<\/p>\n
\"There are efforts been made in the direction of a political
\ncompromise. But I cannot tell you the details since developments
\nare taking place on an hour-to-hour basis,\" the President said.
\n(zen\/dja\/prb)<\/p>",
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