Ruling Golkar warned of political blunders<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Members of Golkar, the ruling political
\norganization, have been advised to watch their step so as not to
\nmake any political errors in the run-up to the 1997 election.<\/p>\n
\"Be thoughtful in making decisions on economic and political
\nmatters so as not to make blunders,\" said Siswono Yudohusodo, a
\nmember of Golkar's powerful board of patrons.<\/p>\n
Siswono, who is better-known as minister of transmigration and
\nresettlement of forest squatters, gave his warning when
\naddressing Golkar members in the West Nusa Tenggara capital of
\nMataram on Saturday.<\/p>\n
As the general election is only about eight months away,
\nGolkar members in the bureaucracy should act carefully so not to
\ntarnish the dominant organization's image, he warned.<\/p>\n
Golkar will contest 425 seats in the House of Representatives
\nnext year with its rivals, the United Development Party (PPP) and
\nthe Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).<\/p>\n
The government has yet to set the date for the election but it
\nis scheduled to take place either in May or June next year.<\/p>\n
Golkar hopes to increase its domination of the House by at
\nleast five percent to 73 percent. Currently, Golkar has 282
\nseats, PPP 62 and PDI 56. The remaining 100 are reserved for the
\nArmed Forces. But as of next year their allocation will be
\nreduced to 75.<\/p>\n
Siswono said Golkar should be able to recoup the 16 seats it
\nlost to the PDI and one to the PPP in the 1992 general election.<\/p>\n
\"Increasing the number of our seats by five percent will be no
\neasy job. It needs hard work,\" he said at the gathering, also
\nattended by West Nusa Tenggara Governor Warsito.<\/p>\n
In the course of the next eight months, he said, Golkar
\nofficials should work to win people's sympathy and should never
\nhurt people's feelings.<\/p>\n
Golkar cadres should do this by doing concrete work,\" he was
\nquoted as saying by the Antara news agency.<\/p>\n
Siswono said the political climate at present is more tense
\nthan that in the same period five years ago.<\/p>\n
\"There is a party which is trying to shake national stability
\nby building 'people's power',\" he said. \"Golkar should be
\nvigilant of any force, however small it may be, that aims to rock
\nthe boat.\"<\/p>\n
Siswono did not name the party. It is understood that the
\ngovernment has suspected the ousted leader of PDI, Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, of trying to mobilize the so-called \"people's
\npower\".<\/p>\n
Although the government has been able to suppress attempts to
\nundermine the nation's political stability, efforts to revive
\nthem will never die, he warned. (pan)<\/p>",
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