Golkar must quickly transform itself or disappear: Analyst<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Golkar must quickly transform itself or possibly
\nface life in political oblivion after the government introduces a
\nnew law on political parties in the next few months.<\/p>\n
Political analyst Ryaas Rasyid said the ruling political
\norganization should immediately transform its political
\nfoundation from a coalition of social and business groups into a
\npurely political party.<\/p>\n
\"Golkar, despite its claim to be a representation of various
\nsocial and business groups, has obviously acted as a political
\nparty,\" Ryaas, the rector of the state-run Institute for Public
\nAdministration (IIP), told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
\"And we will not recognize it as a representation of various
\nsocial and business groups anymore,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Speaking as the coordinator of a seven-member team responsible
\nfor preparing drafts for three political laws on political
\nparties, general elections and the structure and position of the
\nHouse of Representatives\/People's Consultative Assembly, Ryaas
\nsuggested that Golkar immediately change its structure into a
\nformal political party.<\/p>\n
\"It shouldn't be a problem for Golkar as it needs to change
\nits name only since physically it is a political party already,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Internally, Golkar is facing a serious threat of
\ndisintegration, especially after one of its traditional allies,
\nthe Musyawarah Kekeluargaan Gotong Royong (MKGR), broke ranks
\nfrom Golkar and turned itself a separate political party late
\nlast month.<\/p>\n
Golkar's business wing Kosgoro, though still loyal to Golkar,
\nis apparently taking a wait-and-see approach to the latest
\ndevelopments in the political situation. However it has indicated
\na desire to also go it alone as a political party.<\/p>\n
In response to the snowballing reform movement, several
\npolitical parties have been established lately, among them the
\nIndonesian Women's Party (PP), the Indonesian Workers Party (PPI)
\nand the Chinese-Indonesians Reform Party (Parti).<\/p>\n
For nearly three decades the government has kept a tight reign
\non political activities and only recognizes Golkar, the United
\nDevelopment Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party.<\/p>\n
However the newly established cabinet under President B.J.
\nHabibie has opened the floodgates and is allowing the almost
\ndaily birth of new political organizations as people begin to
\nlook ahead to a free general election.<\/p>\n
\"People are free to establish political parties of their own,\"
\nMinister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid said yesterday. \"However,
\ntheir legality will still rest on the new law on political
\nparties which is now under preparation\".<\/p>\n
Ryaas believes that after a process of \"natural screening\",
\nideally there should be more than 10 political parties contending
\nthe election.<\/p>\n
District<\/p>\n
However Ryaas pointed out that the new electoral system would
\nlikely be a hybrid of the district system and the principles of
\nthe proportional representation system which the country
\ncurrently applies.<\/p>\n
\"We still have to think of the parties which will fail the
\nscreening... We still have to accommodate those losing elements
\nin our political system,\" he added.<\/p>\n
He said that the team drafting the new law would divide the
\ncountry's regions into 400 districts with each district
\nequivalent to 200,000 voters.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore, we will have 400 legislators in the 500-seat
\nHouse, elected through the district election system, while the
\nremaining 100 seats will be decided through a combined
\nproportional-district system,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The team plans to complete its drafts for the three political
\nlaws before August, to allow the government time to publicize the
\ndrafts among the public in a bid to accommodate comments and
\ninputs.<\/p>\n
\"However, we (team members) are confident that the three laws
\nwill be submitted to the government before the end of July,\"
\nRyaas told the Post.<\/p>\n
\"We meet three days a week, from Friday to Sunday, to complete
\nthe drafts,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The team members, all with backgrounds in political sciences,
\nare Afan Gaffar of the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada university,
\nRamlan Surbakti of the Surabaya-based Airlangga University,
\nAlfian Malawange of the Ujungpandang-based Hasanuddin university
\nin South Sulawesi, Johermansyah Johan and Lutfi of IIP and Anas
\nUrbaningrum, chairman of the Indonesian Moslem Students
\nAssociation and a postgraduate student at the University of
\nIndonesia. (imn\/byg)<\/p>",
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