Akbar contributes to Golkar revival

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.