Akbar defends his plan to hold Golkar meeting

JAKARTA (JP): Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung has defended his decision to call for a meeting of Golkar's three main components last Monday, which was canceled at the last minute by former president Soeharto.

"The planning of the meeting followed proper procedures," Akbar told reporters yesterday, indicating another apparent rift in the top leadership of the dominant political organization.

The meeting had been intended to accommodate differences in the run-up to Golkar's congress next week, he said.

Invited to the meeting were representatives of the Armed Forces, the bureaucracy and mass organizations -- the so-called Golkar Big Family.

Soeharto used his overriding power as Golkar chief patron to order the meeting be postponed until all the members of the board of patrons had met beforehand.

No date had been given for the board's meeting.

Akbar and Habibie, like most other members of the Cabinet, sit in Golkar's board of patrons.

Former vice president Try Sutrisno, who is now secretary of the board, said Monday that the planned meeting organized by Akbar failed to follow proper procedures.

Akbar denied that there was any rift among Golkar's patrons and dismissed the tiff with Try as merely one of "differences" normally found in any major organization.

He said he did not wish to refute Try's accusation because he was his former superior in the past administration.

Golkar is facing its biggest challenge in its 34 years of existence with many traditional supporters and organizations breaking ranks from it while critics have accused it as the main force keeping Soeharto in power for 32 years.

A row erupted between two camps -- one proreform and the other reportedly supporters of Soeharto -- on the right to organize the July 9 through July 11 congress, amidst speculations that Soeharto and his family might try to stage a comeback through Golkar congress.

Separately, noted Moslem leader Abdurrahman Wahid urged Golkar leaders yesterday to be frank and quit denying internal infighting and dissent which had become public knowledge.

"We have to be honest with the public... Stop saying that nothing is going on. That's nonsense," Abdurrahman told reporters at his house in Ciganjur, South Jakarta.

The chairman of the 30-million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama Moslem organization said Golkar's rift reflected a "tug of war" between proreform and antireform groups.

"A rift ahead of Golkar's congress demonstrates that there is a clash of interests among their leaders," he said.

Former defense minister Edi Sudradjat said Golkar must reform itself, but he stopped short of calling for its disbandment.

Speaking to reporters after attending the inauguration of the Center for Leadership Excellence, a social institution for human resources development, Edi defended Golkar's record and denied that it was responsible for bringing the country into the present state of near bankruptcy.

"Golkar was established in 1964 to preserve the state ideology Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution," he said.

Edi, a retired Army general, had been mentioned as one of the possible candidates for Golkar's chairman to replace Harmoko in next week's congress.

Another name often mentioned is that of Try Sutrisno.

In reply to a question, Edi said he was ready to lead Golkar if the congress elected him.

But he quickly dismissed allegations that he, or Try Sutrisno, would help Soeharto make a political comeback.

On the Armed Forces (ABRI)'s plan to withdraw from Golkar, Edi said the matter was for the people to decide.

Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto has said that in keeping up with the reformation spirit, ABRI would not likely continue its relationship with Golkar. (emf/imn/byg)