Akbar wants Golkar to get House speakership

Akbar wants Golkar to get House speakership

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Political parties grouped under the Nationhood Coalition reached
an agreement on Thursday to back Golkar Party candidate Agung
Laksono for the post of speaker of the House of Representatives.

The decision is the latest acid test for the political
grouping, after it failed to get its candidate Megawati
Soekarnoputri, the leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI-P), elected and now is in disarray.

In a meeting that was attended by Megawati, as well as Golkar
leader and outgoing House speaker Akbar Tandjung, United
Development Party (PPP) leader Hamzah Haz and leader of the
Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) Ruyandi Hutasoit, the coalition
agreed to support Akbar's hand-picked successor.

Seats for vice speakers will likely go to members of the PPP,
PDI-P and the National Awakening Party (PKB).

The coalition members also agreed that the speakership for the
People's Consultative Assembly should be allocated for a PDI-P
candidate.

"The scheme was clear, but we can't disclose names of
candidates," said Reform Star Party (PBR) executive Bursah
Zarnubi, who attended the meeting.

PBR came on the scene to join the coalition at the last
minute, as did the Concern for the Nation Functional Party
(PKPB), which was founded by R. Hartono, a self-proclaimed
devotee of former president Soeharto.

The coalition, which was announced on Aug. 19, will control
the majority of the 550-seat House. The largest faction, Golkar
has 127 seats, with PDI-P at 109, PPP with 58 and PDS with 13.

The coalition will face a challenge from the candidate put
forth by the Democratic Party and the Prosperous Justice Party,
whose presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is heading
for a landslide win.

PDI-P legislator Arifin Panigoro, who has openly opposed the
coalition, could emerge as a dark horse as he has been nominated
by a number of small factions. Arifin has suggested that the
Nationhood Coalition be dissolved after failing to win support
from grassroots members.

Akbar has openly demanded that all coalition members back his
candidate, as part of their cooperation pact they signed in
August. They said at that time the coalition would be a long-term
one.

However, the coalition has borne little fruit as Megawati
lagged far behind Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the General
Elections Commission (KPU) computerized vote count.

Golkar named deputy chairman Agung its candidate for the House
speakership post during an executive meeting late on Wednesday.
Agung, a former state minister of youth affairs and sports, beat
senior party members Mahadi Sinambela and Budi Harsono in a vote.

The executives also decided that Golkar must also grab the
speakership at the People's Consultative Assembly and proposed
senior member Theo L. Sambuaga, a former minister in Soeharto's
last Cabinet.

"Our candidate could win the seat if members of the Nationhood
Coalition throw their support behind us," Akbar was quoted by
Antara as saying.

He said that Golkar being granted the House speakership was
the logical consequence of the party garnering the most votes in
the April 5 legislative elections.

Akbar did not run in the legislative election as he was hoping
to win the nomination from his party to be its presidential
candidate, but he lost to Wiranto.

The election of the House speaker will take place shortly
after the legislators are installed on Friday. On Saturday, the
Assembly members, who comprise House legislators and Regional
Representative Council members, will elect the Assembly speaker.