Akbar visits ruins of Golkar office

Akbar visits ruins of Golkar office

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung visited on
Friday afternoon the ruins of the party's East Java headquarters
in Surabaya, which was burned to the ground during a massive
demonstration on Feb. 7.

"My visit here is to witness the results of an action
committed by people who disrespect the Constitution, law and
democracy. Therefore, we sincerely wish that the law enforcers
will uphold justice," he said as quoted by Antara.

Golkar's East Java chief Ridwan Hisyam and several party
executives, including Syamsul Muarif and Irsyad Sudiro,
accompanied Akbar.

A crowd numbering in the hundreds attacked the office on Feb.
7 as a wave of anti-Golkar feeling turned violent in East Java.
The mob set the office and some parked vehicles on fire, despite
the presence of the security forces.

Thirteen people were arrested by the police on arson and
vandalism charges.

The anti-Golkar action took place after the House of
Representatives (DPR) censured President Abdurrahman Wahid for
his alleged role in two financial scandals.

Golkar, the ruling party during the 32 years of the
authoritarian New Order regime between 1966 and 1998, has set up
a team to investigate the arson attack.

"Golkar's investigating team will assist the police by
providing evidence related to this case," Akbar said.

Akbar dismissed allegations that certain elements in Golkar
had masterminded the attack.

"That's a baseless accusation. It would be impossible for
Golkar members to do such a thing. It's totally absurd to suggest
that we would destroy our own office," said Akbar, who is also
the House Speaker.

When asked whether the vandalism directed at Golkar assets was
the result of political maneuvers by House members against the
President, Akbar replied: "What the DPR did was merely to
exercise its control function as mandated by the Constitution."

"The DPR cannot dismiss the President and vice versa. It is
the MPR (People's Consultative Assembly) that is empowered to
unseat a president," he said.

Akbar also expressed concern that Abdurrahman had failed to
display appropriate regret for the incidents but had rather
blamed Golkar and urged the party to engage in introspection
instead. (edt)