Does Soeharto still love Golkar?

JAKARTA: For journalists, the sight of former president Soeharto voting on Monday caused an adrenalin rush, prompting some to try and peek at which party he voted for.

Some had already speculated that the choice would be either the Golkar Party, which became his political machine during his 32-year presidency, or the newly established Concern for the Nation Functional Party (PKPB). The latter nominated his eldest daughter Siti Hardijanti "Tutut" Rukmana as its presidential hopeful.

Even when he was toppled in 1998 and Golkar refused to rush to his defense, there was never any inkling that Soeharto might have abandoned the party.

Such enthusiasm forced journalists to try and climb the front gate of the polling station to peek through the low-level partition as Soeharto cast his vote.

"I think he voted for Golkar," several cameramen and photographers concluded.

Maybe, after the two strokes he suffered, the only picture that Soeharto could still remember is the Golkar symbol of a banyan tree with a yellow backdrop, said a journalist. -- JP