Disputing Golkar executives attend meeting

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie invited disputing Golkar executives to a dinner at his residence in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Sunday in an apparent attempt to stitch up rifts in the party.

Several Cabinet ministers, including Minister of Justice/State Secretary Muladi and Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry Ginandjar Kartasasmita, Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung and a number of the party's top brass plus representatives of provincial chapters attended the meeting, deputy chairman Marzuki Darusman said.

"It is a sort of extended executive meeting," Marzuki told The Jakarta Post.

But he said the meeting was not "the right place to settle disputes within Golkar".

Akbar said the gathering also helped Golkar consolidate itself ahead of the General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

"There is no more hard feeling among us. Everybody is of the same opinion to make the MPR general session a success for Golkar," Akbar said.

Habibie has been named Golkar's sole presidential candidate.

The meeting started around 7.30 p.m. West Indonesia Time and finished just after midnight.

A split in Golkar became apparent when 12 chairmen of provincial chapters signed a petition to urge Akbar to hold an extraordinary meeting and take action against Marzuki, who they accused of damaging the party's unity.

The petition followed the disclosure of a scandal involving Bank Bali and Golkar deputy secretary Setya Novanto. Marzuki, who has repeatedly called for Golkar to reconsider its support of Habibie for the next president, was accused of leaking the scandal.

Most of the signatories were from Golkar's traditional strongholds in eastern Indonesia, provinces which gained substantial votes for the party in the June elections. The statement was signed after a meeting at the house of Golkar senior adviser Arnold Ahmad Baramuli, who also chairs the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA).

Baramuli was also present in Sunday's gathering.

Akbar said Marzuki clarified his stance during the meeting and Habibie could accept it.

Akbar criticized Baramuli last week for stepping out of his capacity, and said on Friday four of the signatories had reinstated their allegiance to him.

Deputy chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle Kwik Kian Gie has linked the scandal to Habibie's team of strategists to ensure his victory in the upcoming presidential election. Kwik refused to identify the team members, but media reports named Baramuli as one of them.

In Semarang, chairman of Golkar's Central Java chapter Moch. Hasbi said he found no adequate reasons for an extraordinary congress as demanded by 12 of his counterparts.

"There is no need to hold such a congress if it's aimed to dismiss Marzuki. It's better for the chairman (Akbar Tanjung) to ask Marzuki to clarify his statements which are considered harmful to Golkar," Hasbi said on Saturday.

He said that learning from experiences, the Bank Bali case should not cause disunity in the party.

"Golkar used to be solid under one commander and take a united stance. What currently happens is just a matter of different opinions, thanks to the freedom of speech unfolding in this reform era," he said.

Hasbi suggested that Golkar top executives hold a dialog to solve the internal dispute.

Separately, Syafii Ma'arif, chairman of the country's second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, expressed his disappointment with Baramuli's alleged involvement in the Bank Bali scandal.

"Baramuli is a partisan. DPA needs a chairman with statesmanship, not somebody who is involved in politics and mixes his job with his political interests," Syafii said on Saturday. Syafii is a DPA member.

Meanwhile, chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Amien Rais said the obvious crack in Golkar would give the "axis force", an alliance of eight Muslim-based parties, an edge in the race for the presidency.

"Internal conflicts within Golkar will open up a possibility for external support for the axis force. With one of the major political powers weakening, the axis force will grow stronger," Amien said in Yogyakarta.

Amien is the initiator of the force and has repeatedly, although in a personal capacity, nominated Nahdlatul Ulama chairman and founder of National Awakening Party (PKB) Abdurrahman Wahid for the presidency.

Abdurrahman, widely known as Gus Dur, has accepted his nomination, but said he still favors the presidential bid of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri. (byg/prb/har/edt)