Akbar dismisses calls to dissolve Golkar Party

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung on Tuesday dismissed calls to dissolve the party saying that it is a lawful organization and has the right to exist in the country.

"We cannot accept such calls because the Golkar Party is legitimate and registered with the state gazette.

"We have to respect the law and democracy that we have been trying to build," Akbar told journalists on Tuesday.

He admitted that Golkar was part of the New Order regime, but during the reform era, the party has been committed to improve the party's image and to correct their past mistakes as supporters of former president Soeharto.

"It's true that Golkar was part of the old regime, but we've tried to change ourselves and have apologized to the public for our past mistakes.

"In fact, people still voted for us in the 1999 general elections," Akbar said.

Calls that Golkar be dissolved have marked political discourses lately, saying that the party has become the major obstacle in the reform movement as it is part of the New Order regime.

The issue came amid the growing tension between President Abdurrahman Wahid and the House of Representatives over the investigation into the Rp 35 billion (US$3.9 million) financial scandal at the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), which allegedly involved the President.

"We have never tried to obstruct the reform movement, but have been trying to push for democratization.

"There is no proof at all that we have tried to hamper the reform movement," Akbar said.

He further said that he considered such calls a character assassination by certain groups in the country against Golkar leaders, including himself.

Later on Tuesday, the Golkar executive board held a media briefing at its headquarters concerning the growing calls for the party's dissolution.

Golkar deputy chairman Agung Laksono said the calls were raised in an attempt to divert the public's attention from the investigation into the Bulog scandal.

"The accusation that Golkar is the obstacle to the reform movement is baseless," Agung said.

He contended that Golkar had tried to correct itself and support the reform movement. (dja)