ABRI ends obligation to pick Golkar in polls

ABRI ends obligation to pick Golkar in polls

JAKARTA (JP): Spouses and children of Armed Forces members are
no longer obliged to vote for the ruling political organization
Golkar and are free to choose whatever political party they want.

The historical statement, issued on Saturday by the Armed
Forces Veterans Association (Pepabri), may serve to break the
tradition of ABRI support for Golkar which has existed since the
first election held by the New Order government in 1971.

The statement was issued by Pepabri chairman Gen. (ret) Try
Sutrisno at the end of a two-day closed meeting held by the ABRI
Big Family (KBA) at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah recreational park
in East Jakarta.

KBA is made up of four organizations, including PEPABRI and
the Communication Forum of Indonesian Veterans' Children (FKPPI).
Like the Armed Forces itself, it has for the past six general
elections been strongly linked to the dominant Golkar party.

"KBA members will now be free to vote for any political party
they choose in the next general election," Try said.

Try said the Armed Forces Big Family, and especially Pepabri,
wished to change its face and become more democratic than it was
in the past.

"It's not the era of giving orders (regarding voting) anymore.
It's now the era of reform," he said.

"The Armed Forces (ABRI) and KBA have a close relationship
historically. But their political aspirations should not be based
on vertical loyalties anymore," he said.

Bambang Trihatmodjo, the FKPPI chairman and second son of
former president Soeharto, echoed Try's statement, saying: "The
recommendation issued by the KBA coordinative meeting is
correct."

The seventh point of the meeting's recommendations stated that
despite their commitment to maintaining their historical
relationship with Golkar, KBA members' political aspirations
should no longer be channeled through the ruling political
organization.

"Their political aspirations should now be based on their
trust, expectations, conscience, vision of struggle and political
rights," read the recommendation.

The Army, together with six mass organizations, merged and
formed Golkar in 1964 in an effort to overcome the increasing
influence of the now-outlawed Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

Present at the closing ceremony of the meeting were a number
of respected retired generals including former speaker of the
House of Representatives Gen. (ret) Wahono, former minister of
home affairs Gen. (ret) R. Hartono, former National Police chief
Gen. (ret) Banurusman Astrosemitro, businessman Pontjo Sutowo and
a number of FKPPI officials including Didiet Haryadi and Indra
Bambang Utoyo.

Threats of division among junior and senior members of the KBA
emerged in July immediately after Minister/State Secretary Akbar
Tandjung was elected chairman of Golkar. In the election, he beat
off a challenge from former minister of defense Gen. (ret.) Edi
Sudradjat. Edi is a member of the veteran's association.

Akbar's victory was strongly protested by Edi's supporters,
mostly members of the veteran's association and FKPPI, who
accused the government and Armed Forces officials of interfering
in the election in Akbar's favor.

Some members of the veteran's association and FKPPI then
helped to form the Barisan Nasional (National Front), which
unites a number of opposition figures.

A debate has raged over whether members of the Armed Forces
should vote for Golkar for a number of years. Conflicting
statements on the issue have emerged from within ABRI. One camp
believes that since ABRI belongs to the people, it should not
vote for the ruling Golkar, while others believe that the Armed
Forces are intimately linked with Golkar through the two
organization's shared history. (imn)