Hesitant reform proposal<\/p>\n
All of a sudden (the ruling party) Golkar has broken its
\nsilence. Amid the endless roar of demonstrations and mass action,
\nGolkar's chairman, who is concurrently the paramount leader of
\nboth the House of Representatives and the People's Consultative
\nAssembly, Harmoko, spoke to the media in a specially convened
\ngathering in Jakarta yesterday (Friday). With all the gusto and
\noratory flair that are his trademark, Bung Harmoko said Golkar
\nwould work toward restricting the terms that a president can
\nserve to just two.<\/p>\n
For those who keep no tabs on Golkar's statements and policy
\ndirections, Harmoko's stated aspiration may sound like a daring
\nbreakthrough for reform. But for those who have observed Golkar's
\nactions and patterns of thought so far, Harmoko's intent is no
\nmore than plain rhetoric. It is no exaggeration even to call it a
\ntotal about-face.<\/p>\n
It is still fresh in our minds how Golkar, through Harmoko,
\ndeclared its outright rejection of proposals made in the People's
\nConsultative Assembly's General Session last March, to limit the
\nnumber of terms a president could serve. Harmoko even considered
\nsuch a suggestion unconstitutional. Now, the very same person
\nexpresses the wish to limit the number of presidential terms one
\ncan serve. This is an about-face of logic that confuses the
\npublic.<\/p>\n
It may be that Golkar desires to show its reformist spirit by
\nmaking such a statement. However, the urgency for reform at
\npresent actually lies elsewhere. In 2003, Pak Harto (President
\nSoeharto) could not possibly accept the candidate. If it is
\nGolkar's purpose to silence criticism over Pak Harto's terms in
\noffice, then our question is: what is wrong with Pak Harto? It
\nwas, after all, the wish of Golkar, which, as the absolute winner
\nin general elections held since the establishment of the New
\nOrder, that Pak Harto not be replaced.<\/p>\n
Thus, the reform proposal enunciated by Golkar this time via
\nHarmoko is, in our view, a hesitant reform proposal. It is
\ncertain that in 2003, even without Golkar's prompting, Pak Harto
\nwill not wish to extend his term.<\/p>\n
Golkar's wish as expressed by Harmoko this time is therefore
\nnot important, much less urgent. Golkar will be remembered as a
\ntrue reformer if it amends, straightaway, the law governing
\npolitical parties and Golkar, the law on general elections, and
\nwithdraws Golkar faction members whose recruitment smacked of
\nnepotism. If all it wants is to limit the presidential term,
\nthen, we're sorry, that is nothing sensational. It only shows the
\nsuperficiality of Golkar's thinking.<\/p>\n
-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hesitant-reform-proposal-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }