Akbar contributes to Golkar revival

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Although Akbar Tandjung and George W. Bush are of a different political caliber, to some extent some parallels can be drawn between the two political leaders as they are both loved and hated by the people.

Yet, the two have a experienced a different fate: Bush won reelection in the recent U.S. presidential election while Akbar was defeated in the recent Golkar Party congress in Nusa Dua, Bali.

As with Bush, who was fiercely criticized for his controversial policy in Iraq and Afghanistan, Akbar has been the target of strong criticism and protests from party members for his decision to form the Nationhood Coalition with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle and a few minority parties.

The purpose of the coalition was to garner support for the reelection of Megawati Soekarnoputri in the recent presidential election, and it left no space for opposition.

With the support of his loyalists in the party, Akbar suspended Jusuf Kalla (who ran with presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the runoff) from his position in the party and dismissed several other party members who formed the Forum for (Golkar) Party Reform to support the Susilo-Kalla ticket.

As a result, Akbar was defeated in the scramble and the coalition failed to propel Megawati to victory, a strong factor that put Akbar in a losing position during the five-day congress.

The delegates from 32 provinces, who presented their evaluation of Akbar's leadership in the past five years, accepted Akbar's accountability speech. He also gained political support from more than 450 regental delegates, indicating that he would likely retain his leadership of the party.

However, during the election, Akbar had to swallow the bitter pill of defeat as he bowed down to businessman Jusuf Kalla, the incumbent vice president, who won the majority of votes.

In the second round of the vote, Akbar gained only 156 votes while Kalla enjoyed a sweeping victory with a majority of 326 votes.

To some, 59-year-old Akbar Tandjung will now be a political has-been, following his failure to retain the leadership of the party.

He will no longer make field tours to regions to attend Golkar meetings and party cadres will no longer meet him to seek approval of the party's central board for any gubernatorial, regental, or municipal elections.

Having no more role in the party and losing the opportunity to fulfill his ambition to run in the 2009 presidential election, Akbar has said he would spend much more time at home with his five children and his wife Krisnina Maharani.

"Although I no longer have a position in the party, I will be available to assist the progress of the party in the future," he said.

Despite the defeat, which many also perceive as a strong slap in the face for Akbar and his supporters, he demonstrated graciousness in defeat by hugging his strong rival Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who won the party chairmanship for the next five years.

Before more than 1,600 party members who took part in the congress and millions of people who were watching the congress on TV, Akbar called on Golkar, under Kalla's leadership, to remain critical of the government -- despite Kalla's vice presidency.

Despite his defeat that might indicate an end of his political career, Akbar has set "a good example" of a high-caliber politician who became widely accepted and loved by Golkar cadres and supporters.

Akbar, who was well-known as the favored protege of former president Soeharto during the New Order era, won broad support from party supporters for his decisive role in reviving Golkar.

The party had been condemned, with calls for it to be dissolved during the reform era that started in 1998, for its full support for Soeharto's 32-year authoritarian regime.

Akbar gained much experience of working in political and mass organizations and held several ministerial jobs during the New Order era.

He was born in Sorkam, Sibolga, North Sumatra, on Aug. 14, 1945, grew up in Jakarta and graduated from the school of technology of the University of Indonesia. He met with success in leading Golkar as the party to gain the second largest number of votes in the 1999 general election and the majority vote in the 2004 legislative election.

The former chairman of the Indonesian Youth Committee (KNPI) and the Indonesian Muslim Students Association (HMI) demonstrated his political skills when he successfully convinced a panel of Supreme Court justices that he was not guilty in the Rp 40 billion Bulog scandal, a major graft case that many believed Akbar used to finance the party's campaign for the 1999 election.

Many political analysts see Akbar as a high-caliber politician who has very fast footwork when involved in political lobbying for his own interests and those of his party's.

The Akbar camp showed its maturity in politics when it successfully converted Golkar into a proreform political party at its 1999 extraordinary congress.

Many party hacks became dormant while others set up their own parties in the wake of the push for reform, but Akbar was able to achieve a relatively smooth transition by repackaging the party, even though its content and strong network remained the same.

His performance in the 1999 election and strong lobbying with other parties gave him the position of speaker in the House of Representatives, while Golkar's victory in the 2004 general election almost handed him a place as a candidate in the recent presidential election and for reelection in the recent party congress.

Aware of Golkar's new position as the ruling party, Akbar called on the party, which occupies 123 of the 550 seats in the legislative body, to remain critical of the executive and maintain its commitment to reform in all fields.

He also believes that Kalla, who promised "to work full time for the party", must move the party closer to the people in order to be able to win the 2009 legislative election.