Golkar targets UMNO success<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The ruling political group Golkar wants a
\nlandslide victory in the 1997 general election and chairman
\nHarmoko is confident he can do it.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot predict the percentage (of the votes) yet, but it
\nis sure to increase given the organizational consolidation being
\ncarried out in the regions,\" Harmoko told Antara yesterday.<\/p>\n
Harmoko said any big political organization anywhere in the
\nworld wants to win with as big a margin as possible. He cited as
\nan example the 86 percent victory notched by UMNO, the ruling
\ncoalition in Malaysia, in last April's Malaysian general
\nelection.<\/p>\n
Golkar has won all the five general elections held under
\nPresident Soeharto since 1971. However, in the last election in
\n1992, its majority was sliced from 73 percent of the votes to 68
\npercent.<\/p>\n
The United Development Party took 17 percent and the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party 15 percent.<\/p>\n
Harmoko has been stomping across the nation meeting with local
\nGolkar leaders since he was appointed to the number one post in
\nOctober 1993. This week's sally has taken him to various cities
\nin the Maluku and Irian Jaya provinces.<\/p>\n
Speaking in Ambon, the capital of Maluku, the Golkar chairman
\ntold Antara that he was optimistic about Golkar's chances in the
\n1997 election because Golkar cadres in the region fully supported
\nhis objective to win with the biggest margin.<\/p>\n
\"At the very least, a bigger percentage than the last
\nelection,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Harmoko was widely criticized when, immediately after his
\nappointment as Golkar chairman, he pronounced winning the 1997
\nelection with the biggest margin possible his main objective.<\/p>\n
Critics feared that this would create a further imbalance in
\nthe country's political equation, an unhealthy sign for
\ndemocracy, and render the two minority parties even weaker.<\/p>\n
Besides touring the provinces, Harmoko has also organized
\ncrash courses to groom people in various professions -- from
\nfishermen to film artists -- to become Golkar cadres. (emb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/golkar-targets-umno-success-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}