Analysts say new party won't improve situation

JAKARTA (JP): Political observers lined up behind President Soeharto yesterday in support of his argument that Indonesia does not need a new political party.

They agreed that Golkar, as the ruling functional group, should champion the drive to improve the existing political structure.

Establishing a new party aimed to accommodate the wishes of those unhappy with the existing parties would only worsen the situation, said Maswadi Rauf, a political scientist from the University of Indonesia.

"More political parties would mean more conflicts," he told The Jakarta Post.

He argued that there was no guarantees more political parties would improve, or make more effective, the performance of political institutions like the House of Representatives (DPR)."

The laws limit the number of political organizations to three that can participate in the general election: the government- backed Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

On Thursday, Soeharto ruled out the possibility of forming a new political party, as demanded by some senior Moslem leaders who considered the existing ones unable to accommodate their interests.

"We don't want a new political party or a new functional group," he told Golkar leaders celebrating the organization's 30th anniversary.

He also advised the country to learn from the past, when conflicts were the order of the day, because it employed a multi- party system.

The campaign for a new party was launched by a number of Moslem leaders who lost their bid to snatch the chairmanship of the United Development Party (PPP) in September.

Maturity

Maswadi dismissed the suggestion that those who wished to establish a new party were only exercising their right to assemble.

"This is not a solution," he said. "We don't need to restructure our system. We need to improve its procedures, its functions.

Two other observers, former home affairs minister Rudini and political scientist Amir Santoso, also put their support behind Soeharto.

"It's a tall order (asking for new party) for the present political condition, because there is no way Golkar, as the dominant political grouping, would agree to it," Rudini told the news agency Antara.

He said it was unlikely that the DPR would amend the 1985 law on political parties, which limits the number of political organizations to three.

"Golkar faction members in the DPR have decided they don't want a new party," Rudini said.

Amir, also from the University of Indonesia, said, what the country needed was to strengthen the existing political organizations and to have "mature political actors."

"Many of our politicians are sore losers, demanding a new party after losing a political battle," Amir said.

Allowing for the establishment of a new party may become a bad precedent, he said. "There would be more and more people asking for new parties every time they are defeated."

Both Maswadi and Amir agreed, after rejecting the request for a new party, Golkar should bear greater responsibility to shake things up.

"It shouldn't only be after winning elections," Maswadi said. "Golkar should help the DPR, for instance, become a real check and balance power in the system." (swe)

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