Akbar asks his party members to be patient
Akbar asks his party members to be patient
JAKARTA (JP): Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung has urged
party members nationwide to remain patient amid continuing calls
for the party to be dissolved.
Addressing a gathering of hundreds of party members in Bandar
Lampung, the capital of Lampung, on Sunday, Akbar said Golkar had
the right to exist and that all Golkar members should continue to
implement the party's programs.
"Although our party has to deal with a lot of pressures, we
must stand firm and continue with our programs," Akbar, who is
also Speaker of the House of Representatives, said as quoted by
Antara.
Following the issuance of the memorandum of censure against
President Abdurrahman Wahid on Feb. 1, Golkar has been bombarded
by attacks on its offices, accusations of its past links with the
New Order regime and continuing calls for the dissolution of the
party.
Several Golkar offices in East Java, which is the stronghold
of the President, were vandalized by mobs earlier this month.
The latest attack on the party concerns the alleged misuse of
a Rp 90 billion (US$9.4 million) fund belonging to the State
Logistics Agency (Bulog), which was reportedly used to finance
the party's 1999 election campaign.
Akbar also called on party members to guard the party's assets
against any further attacks and stressed that legal action would
be used to deal with any anarchic acts directed at the party.
"We will counter threats and anarchic acts against the party's
assets with legal action," he added.
Earlier, Golkar deputy chairman Agung Laksono had said in
Bandar Lampung on Saturday that all members of the party should
defend themselves against any groups attempting to destroy Golkar
assets.
Separately in Jakarta, some 1,000 workers organized by the
Indonesian Workers' National Forum (FNBI) held a rally at the
National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta on Sunday demanding
higher wages and the dissolution of the Golkar party.
The rally was attended by workers from the Greater Jakarta
area. Present at the rally was the chairman of the Democratic
People's Party (PRD) Budiman Sudjatmiko, an outspoken critic of
Golkar. (dja)