Political parties support Golkar redefinition idea<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The two minority parties -- the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
\n-- supported yesterday the idea of redefining Golkar's position
\nin the political system.<\/p>\n
PPP's secretary-general, Tosari Widjaya, and PDI legislator
\nV.B. da Costa agreed with constitutional law expert Harun
\nAlrasyid who said recently that Golkar should be declared a
\npolitical party.<\/p>\n
Golkar stands for Golongan Karya (Functional Group) and does
\nnot call itself a political party, even though it contests
\nelections and is the dominant group in Indonesian politics.<\/p>\n
"Golkar plays the role of a political party. It should,
\ntherefore, declare itself a political party," Tosari said.<\/p>\n
Da Costa, who is PDI's member of House Commission III for
\nLegal Affairs, said Golkar's activities were similar to those of
\na political party so its name should be changed to that of a
\npolitical party.<\/p>\n
"If Golkar understood the definition of a political party, it
\nwould realize that it should have not conducted political
\nactivities," he said.<\/p>\n
On Monday University of Indonesia law professor Harun Alrasyid
\nsaid Golkar should not take up seats in the House of
\nRepresentatives as long as it refused to call itself a party.<\/p>\n
At a seminar on Golkar's political concepts in Yogyakarta,
\nHarun said Golkar's proper place was not the House of
\nRepresentatives but the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).<\/p>\n
Harun said Golkar should review its status because it was
\neffectively a political party and no longer a functional group.<\/p>\n
The 1945 Constitution's second article states that the House
\nof Representatives is a forum for political parties and, he said,
\nthe constitution provided the MPR for functional groups.<\/p>\n
He said if Golkar was a functional group its proper place was
\nthe MPR.<\/p>\n
Tosari said there should be consensus among the three
\npolitical organizations over what Golkar's position in the
\npolitical system should be.<\/p>\n
He agreed with Harun that with its current status, Golkar
\nrepresentatives should not sit in the House but in the MPR.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Da Costa called for a thorough evaluation on Law
\nNo. 3\/1985 on Political Parties and Golkar.<\/p>\n
"The law does not define a political party's role and
\nactivities. It only stipulates the three contestants'
\nparticipation in the general elections," he said.<\/p>\n
Harun's opinion was strongly criticized by Suhardiman, one of
\nGolkar's founders 33 years ago.<\/p>\n
"Harun must be politically blind and have no knowledge of
\nGolkar's history," said Suhardiman, who is chairman of the
\nGolkar-affiliated workers' union SOKSI.<\/p>\n
Golkar was formed with the help of the Army in 1964 to unite
\nprofessional and nonpolitical groups to counter the growing
\nstrength of unions affiliated with the Indonesian Communist Party
\n(PKI).<\/p>\n
The PKI was banned after its abortive coup attempt in 1965,
\nand Golkar became Indonesia's dominant political force.<\/p>\n
Golkar won 74 percent of the vote in last May's general
\nelection.<\/p>\n
It was Golkar's sixth consecutive election win since 1971,
\nwhen the first general election under the New Order government
\nwas held. (imn)<\/p>",
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