Agung's swift fall from grace

Kornelius Purba and M.Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali

Along the streets from Ngurah Rai International Airport to the Westin Resort, where the seventh Golkar Party national congress is being held, dozens of banners display welcome remarks from House of Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono to congress participants.

But will the participants still treat him as a respected senior member after severely limiting the chance of Agung's new ally, Vice President Jusuf Kalla, to run in the party's election for chairman?

Agung has been accused by many participants of betraying the party's current leader Akbar Tandjung, who helped him secure the House speakership, first by breaking his promise not to run in the leadership race and then joining Kalla's camp.

Akbar declined to comment on Agung, saying he had every right to run for the top spot in Golkar.

However, Agung's sudden decision to back Kalla proved to be a major misstep; he not only humiliated himself, but he has now become the target of criticism from the party's rank and file.

"We see him as a traitor who betrayed the person who helped him to the House speakership. He was not grateful to Akbar," a representative from West Kalimantan told The Jakarta Post.

Akbar implicitly criticized Agung as paving the way for the government to meddle in Golkar's affairs, which could jeopardize the party's independence.

"There are people who happen to be in government who want to use Golkar as a vehicle to meet their ends," Akbar told reporters here.

Another Golkar chairman candidate, Marwah Daud Ibrahim, said Agung had indeed humiliated himself by taking a subordinate position to Kalla. "The House speaker is equal to the vice president. If Kalla was elected then he (Agung) would be the deputy to the Vice President (in Golkar)," she said.

Agung defended his decision to support Kalla. "It is normal in politics to change direction in such a swift manner. It is my right."

When told that Kalla might have lost his chance to lead Golkar because the congress could not forgive his decision to be nominated as vice president by the Democratic Party, Agung only responded, "Just wait and see."