Akbar ready for top Golkar post
JAKARTA (JP): Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung said on the eve of Golkar's extraordinary congress that he was ready to join the race for the chairmanship of the ruling political organization.
"I'll do my best should Golkar members give me their trust to lead the organization for the next five year term," he told reporters here yesterday ahead of the three day congress which begins today.
Akbar, who is also secretary of Golkar's board of patrons, said that several groups in the organization had asked him to stand in the election.
In a terse acknowledgment of the competition he would face, Akbar said he had heard of another name widely mentioned as a contender.
He stopped short of saying who, but it is widely recognized that Akbar and former Minister of Defense and Security Edi Sudradjat are the two candidates tipped to replace the incumbent Harmoko.
Harmoko himself seemed to concede yesterday that his term in office would come to a premature end. Harmoko, the first civilian to lead Golkar, was not due to stand down until October, the month in which the congress was originally scheduled.
He maintained that whatever might transpire he would not seek reelection.
"For me, once is enough as Golkar chairman. That is my principle," he said. "I will ignore all attempts to persuade me otherwise," he added.
The extraordinary congress was called after the organization's regional chapters issued strong demands for reform and for Harmoko's replacement.
Harmoko yesterday refused to state whom he would prefer to replace him, saying only that it should be a younger man.
"Besides excellence, acceptability, capability and integrity, the new chairman should also be younger than me," said the 59 year old former minister of information.
Edi turned 60 last April while Akbar will be 53 this year.
Separately, the nation's most senior living military official and honorary Golkar member Gen. (ret) Abdul Haris Nasution also said Golkar needed younger blood.
"The new Golkar chairman should come from the younger generation," Nasution, 79, told a visiting Golkar young generation delegation last night.
The delegation, led by Irsyad Sudiro, who is also chairman of Golkar's faction in the House of Representatives, met Nasution to discuss the extraordinary congress.
Soeharto
Besides electing a new chairman, the 1,000 participants will also discuss new Golkar statutes including the abolition of the board of patrons, board of advisors and board of councilors.
President B.J. Habibie will officially open the congress which is to be held in Hotel Indonesia, Central Jakarta. However it is not clear if the chairman of Golkar's board of patrons, former president Soeharto, will attend.
"We have no information about his (Soeharto's) plans," Harmoko said.
As Golkar delegates began registering at Hotel Indonesia, city police and the Jakarta Military Command staged an exercise in the western side of the National Monument Park in Central Jakarta as part of security preparations.
Some 1,300 security personnel -- eight companies from the city police and five companies from the Jakarta Military Command -- will be deployed to secure the three day event.
Central Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Iman Haryatna and Central Jakarta Military District Commander Lt. Col. Widodo told their men that they should remain alert.
"I want you all to be ready. We don't want any chaos to happen here. But try to be as sympathetic as possible in performing this task because after all, our jobs are to serve and protect the community," Iman said. (imn/edt)