Akbar case a pebble in Golkar's shoe ahead of 2004 general elections

A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Even against a background of other political parties with noisy internal disputes, Golkar still manages to stand out in the face of the 2004 general elections, thanks to chairman Akbar Tandjung's success in obtaining unanimous support from party officials.

Golkar members concluded their three-day leadership meeting on Friday, with a pledge of allegiance from each of the party's 30 chapters throughout Indonesia for Akbar to serve until the next congress in 2004, shortly after the election.

Political observer J. Kristiadi said that the unified support for Akbar would keep the party solid until the nation's presidential election.

"Despite the advantage, however, Golkar will have to pass through a long and winding road to victory, since it is struggling to restore its tarnished image," Kristiadi said.

Akbar, Kristiadi said, managed to curtail the influence of his rival, Achmad Arnold Baramuli, the founder of Golkar's broad- based, caucus comprising Eastern Indonesia, called Iramasuka.

"This means that Akbar has set aside the party's potential dispute, which could hamper Golkar's election campaign," said Kristiadi, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Baramuli has, several times, called for a snap congress to demand that Akbar account for his troubled tenure.

While Golkar, which finished second in the last elections in 1999, stands firmly behind Akbar, its major competitors -- the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB) -- are suffering from internal split.

Slamet Effendy Yusuf, the newly elected chairman of Golkar team to help the party win the 2004 election, claimed on Saturday that his party is "the most prepared" to contest the poll.

He said that Golkar's return to power would rely heavily on its current campaign to recruit one million new members nationwide, which is now underway.

"They will be the party's vanguards in attracting people's support," he said.

Slamet said that the party would press ahead with the drafting of bills relating to electoral system. "We are ready to discuss election system," he told The Jakarta Post.

Golkar is a staunch advocate of direct presidential elections.

Slamet said that Golkar would not repeat its past mistakes by being overly dependent on the government.

He said that the party was developing a "grassroots political movement," in which parties would increase public participation through things like direct local head elections.

Despite being well-prepared, however, political observers remained skeptical that Golkar could win the next election.

Kristiadi said that Akbar's implication in a financial scandal could hand Golkar what he called a "dead card." Akbar has been named a suspect in a Rp 40 billion scam.

Another political expert, Daniel Sparingga, said that Golkar's fate would hinge on whether Akbar could successfully defend himself against prosecutors.

"If Akbar is found guilty, Golkar will also lose its credibility in the public eye, and vanish by the next election," he predicted.

To keep Akbar's case from affecting Golkar as an institution, Daniel suggested that the party lay low, and instead develop a new image as a moderate party.

"Golkar must refrain from outright confrontation with the government. If Golkar takes a tough stance, people will perceive it as the party lusting for power," he said.