Golkar splinter group seeks Akbar's downfall<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta\/Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
The internal split within Golkar Party is intensifying, with a
\ngroup of dissident politicians seeking to unseat chairman Akbar
\nTandjung and reopen the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) corruption
\ncase in which he was acquitted.<\/p>\n
The politicians, who were recently dismissed for defying the
\nexecutive board's order to support the election bid of Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, said Akbar was responsible for the failure to
\nboost the votes for the incumbent president in the Sept. 20
\nrunoff.<\/p>\n
\"Akbar must step down immediately, without waiting for
\nthe national congress in December, as his decision to support
\nMegawati was a big mistake. If he insists on maintaining his
\npost, Golkar will be abandoned by its constituents,\" said Fahmi
\nIdris, one of nine dissidents who have been shown the door and
\nalmost certainly will lose their seats in the House of
\nRepresentatives.<\/p>\n
Fahmi said many Golkar regental branches had demanded that
\nAkbar quit the chairmanship.<\/p>\n
\"They are mostly party branches in regencies where Megawati
\nlooks certain to lose. The branches in West Java, North Sumatra,
\nWest Sumatra, Central Java, Sulawesi and Kalimantan are united in
\nasking Akbar to resign. Some of them have come to me and asked me
\nto convey their wishes to Akbar,\" said Fahmi, whose position as
\nchairman of Golkar's faction at the People's Consultative
\nAssembly has been taken over by Freddy Latumahina.<\/p>\n
Golkar will organize its congress in mid-December in Denpasar
\nto elect the party chairman for the 2004\/2009 period. Akbar has
\nhinted at seeking reelection.<\/p>\n
Golkar, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)
\nand other major parties declared on Aug. 19 the Nationhood
\nCoalition to support Megawati's bid for the presidency.<\/p>\n
However, the move apparently bore little fruit as Megawati is
\ncurrently trailing behind Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the General
\nElections Commission (KPU)'s computerized vote counting.<\/p>\n
As of 8 p.m., Susilo garnered 61.1 percent of the vote,
\nagainst Megawati's 38.8 percent.<\/p>\n
Fahmi and fellow Golkar politicians who have been fired
\nchallenged their dismissal. They filed on Wednesday a suit
\nagainst Akbar with the West Jakarta District Court accusing him
\nof violating the party's standing orders.<\/p>\n
According to the party's standing orders, a member must be
\ngiven at least two reprimands, with an interval of 20 days before
\nhe or she could be fired. Golkar's executive board issued the
\nfirst and the second warnings on Sept. 2 and Sept. 8,
\nrespectively.<\/p>\n
The politicians flew to Yogyakarta later in the day to meet
\nGovernor Hamengkubuwono X, who is also a Golkar senior member to
\ndiscuss the internal friction, at the latter's palace.<\/p>\n
Hamengkubuwono said he agreed to mediate between the two
\nconflicting parties and facilitate a meeting.<\/p>\n
Fahmi said he had also sought help from Papua Governor Jap
\nSalossa and Gorontalo Governor Fadel Muhammad, who are both
\nGolkar members, to settle the dispute.<\/p>\n
After the talks with Hamengkubuwono, dismissed Golkar member
\nAnton Lesiangi said he had evidence that Akbar had lied in court
\nwhen he was being tried for his involvement in the misuse of
\nstate funds intended to feed the poor.<\/p>\n
\"Akbar lied when he said that he had never received Rp 40
\nbillion from Bulog,\" Anton said.<\/p>\n
He said that the money was later distributed to some of his
\nclose aides in the party such as Rambe Kamaruzaman, Mahadi
\nSinambela, Enggartiasto Lukito and Fadel Muhammad.<\/p>\n
Responding to the dissidents' latest moves, a number of Akbar
\nloyalists, among others Ade Komaruddin, Ferry Mursyidan Baldan
\nand Akil Muchtar said the demand could not be considered as they
\nwere no longer party members.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/golkar-splinter-group-seeks-akbars-downfall-1447893297",
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