Military to support Megawati, Winters says<\/p>\n
SEMARANG (JP): Political observer Jeffrey Winters expressed
\nhis optimism on Tuesday that the Indonesian Military (TNI) would
\neventually support, and thus ensure, Megawati Soekarnoputri for
\nthe next presidency.<\/p>\n
The associate professor from Northwestern University in
\nIllinois said at a seminar here that the principles of democracy
\ndictated the winner of a general election holds the office. He
\nwas confident that the military, which in the past was a staunch
\nsupporter of Golkar in perpetrating the power of former president
\nSoeharto, now had progressive views.<\/p>\n
\"I am optimistic that Megawati will receive (the military's)
\nsupport. And if they really support her, it means (the military)
\nnow has a progressive view,\" Winters said.<\/p>\n
Megawati Soekarnoputri is the chairwoman and sole presidential
\ncandidate of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan), which won first place in the June poll with 33.74
\npercent of the vote and holds 154 seats in the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR).<\/p>\n
However, Winters warned that Indonesia had \"specific political
\ncharacteristics\" and the political elite may disagree with the
\nmajority choice in the last poll.<\/p>\n
\"So to get a hold of power may become PDI Perjuangan's main
\nobstacle,\" Winters said.<\/p>\n
Those in the \"political elite must realize that the winning
\nparty has to be given a chance to lead the country... as
\nMegawati deserves to be the next president,\" Winters explained.<\/p>\n
Another speaker at the seminar, Wimar Witoelar, pointed out
\nthat Golkar's candidate, the incumbent President B.J. Habibie,
\nalso stood a great chance at winning the coming presidential
\nelection despite being currently bogged down by the Bank Bali
\ninterbank debt scandal, which implicates him and his aides.<\/p>\n
Wimar speculated that the next People's Consultative Assembly
\n(MPR), which includes the Interest Group faction and regional
\nrepresentatives, was susceptible to \"money politics\" and may end
\nup supporting Habibie.<\/p>\n
\"Any leeway existing in the body may benefit Habibie,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Winters also spoke in his speech about how the Bank Bali
\nscandal was clearly about power holders manipulating forces for
\ncertain political interests.<\/p>\n
\"This scandal is confusing to all of us. Too many people are
\ninvolved,\" he said, pointing out how past cases of financial
\nscandals were never solved completely.<\/p>\n
\"This will also be another long drawn-out game with no results
\nand no investigations,\" Winters predicted.<\/p>\n
Bank Bali paid PT Era Giat Prima, a private company owned by
\nSetya Novanto, a \"commission\" of Rp 546 billion to help it
\nrecover loans worth Rp 904 billion from closed banks.<\/p>\n
Newspapers have accused Golkar of benefiting from the money.
\nCritical remarks directed at Habibie from Golkar deputy chairman
\nMarzuki Darusman have led to an open split in the ruling party
\nwith Habibie's loyalists waging a campaign to unseat chairman
\nAkbar Tandjung and purge Marzuki.<\/p>\n
Among the most prominent of Habibie's loyalists was A.A.
\nBaramuli, who is also chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council
\n(DPA). Akbar said a meeting held on Sunday between Habibie,
\nAkbar, Marzuki, Baramuli and other Golkar leaders resolved the
\ninternal rift.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, however, Baramuli's brother Edy, who is also
\ndeputy chairman of the South Sulawesi chapter of Golkar, said in
\nUjungpandang he and other Golkar leaders from eastern Indonesia
\nwould continue with their demand for an extraordinary congress.<\/p>\n
The dissenters wanted to hold the congress in order to expel
\nMarzuki and deliver a vote of no-confidence against Akbar.<\/p>\n
\"On behalf of the 12 Golkar chapters in eastern Indonesia, we
\nmaintain our demand that chairman Akbar Tandjung immediately call
\nan extraordinary congress to ask why Marzuki wanted to annul
\nHabibie's presidential nomination,\" Edy Baramuli told the media
\non Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"We are warning Akbar and Marzuki against launching maneuvers
\nwhich create the public impression that Golkar would lose if it
\ncontinues to support Habibie,\" Edy said.<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta, political observer Samsu Rizal Panggabean said
\nopen conflicts in Golkar were not worse than those that took
\nplace in the past but went undetected by the media. Besides, he
\nsaid, the split was a consequence of Golkar's efforts to free
\nitself from the shadows of Soeharto or even Habibie.<\/p>\n
\"Golkar should be ready to face fissures. That's okay... it
\nhappens to other parties,\" he said. (27\/44\/edt\/har\/swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/military-to-support-megawati-winters-says-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}