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)