Akbar's stinging attack on government deplored

JAKARTA (JP): There was a chorus of disapproval on Wednesday over Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung's strong criticism of the government, saying he forgot that Golkar itself was part of the New Order regime which brought the country to ruin.

The head of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction at the People's Consultative Assembly, Yusuf Muhammad, expressed disappointment with the political statement saying that Golkar betrayed Sunday's agreement by the 11 Assembly factions to calm political tensions.

"Akbar opened a new conflict. He and his friends in Golkar should realize that he was part of the New Order regime that has destroyed the country during 32 years in power," Yusuf, one of President Abdurrahman Wahid's supporters, said.

He said Akbar's statement was arrogant and reflected the party's desire to return to power without apologizing for their past mistakes.

He called on all elements of the nation, loyal to the reform agenda, to be wary of former members of the repressive New Order regime under former president Soeharto.

During the opening of the party's leadership meeting on Tuesday night Akbar, who is also House of Representatives speaker, launched a lashing attack on the performance of President Abdurrahman Wahid's government saying that its inconsistent policies had dragged the nation further into the multidimensional crisis.

The timing of the criticism also seems out of step with the apparent mood of political reconciliation ahead of the general session of August's Assembly.

Abdurrahman's close confidant Alwi Shihab also said the criticism was baseless.

"These criticisms are merely a political commodity," Alwi, who is foreign affairs minister, told reporters on Wednesday.

Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry Kwik Kian Gie said during the high toned criticism, Akbar failed to give clear proposals and solutions to the government.

"If he (Akbar) cannot give a more specific picture, his criticism is meaningless. The government can learn nothing from him," Kwik, who is deputy chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), said.

Rationale

Noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid also questioned the rationale for such a stinging attack saying that it would not undermine the President and was not meant to topple the head of state.

"They have calculated the losses and benefits of that (toppling Abdurrahman) and found that it will only incur more losses to them," he remarked.

Nurcholish called on Golkar Party to ceremonially dissolve itself as a symbol of cutting its links with the previous New Order regime.

He said Golkar Party should also answer the public's demand to conduct internal reforms.

"From the beginning, I always said that Golkar has to be discharged although it can then form a new party. It should symbolically cut links with the past," he told reporters on Wednesday.

He further said Golkar should get used to being a party with no authority or even becoming an opposition party.

Meanwhile political scientist Arbi Sanit said Akbar's statement against the government was part of efforts to erase from history that Golkar was part of the New Order regime.

"All the difficulties we are suffering is a result of the New Order regime which was fully supported by them (Golkar)," Arbi from the University of Indonesia, was quoted by Antara as saying.

Separately, Rubiyanto Misman, rector of the Purwokerto-based Jenderal Soedirman University, remarked that Akbar's criticism was launched at an inappropriate time.

"I regret the criticism against the government. It was not the right time due to the country's current condition," Rubiyanto said.

He suggested Akbar first indict himself and his party which needed a lot of improvement before blaming other parties, especially the government.

When asked by journalists about the almost wide-scale censuring of his political address, Akbar took a conciliatory tone saying that criticism was necessary and valid in a democratic system and that his comments should not be misconstrued as trying to undermine Abdurrahman.

"We are being outspoken with the spirit of trying to find a solution for the nation," Akbar, who served several ministerial posts under former presidents Soeharto and B.J. Habibie, said on the sidelines of the second day of the party's leadership meeting on Wednesday.

He reiterated that impeachment of a president is difficult since the president should be firmly considered to have violated the State Constitution and the State Policy Guidelines. (45/byg/dja/jun)