Don't be easily provoked, Golkar Party members told
Don't be easily provoked, Golkar Party members told
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Golkar Party co-chairman Agung Laksono told party members on
Monday not to be provoked by the ongoing campaign against rotten
politicians and by protests against chairman Akbar Tandjung,
calling them maneuvers designed to destroy the party.
"Don't get provoked by these two issues," Agung told some
3,000 party faithful from Golkar's Jakarta chapter at the Senayan
Indoor Stadium.
Akbar, who was also invited to the event, did not attend.
Several non-governmental organizations have embarked on a
nationwide campaign against unscrupulous politicians. While the
NGOs have refrained from mentioning any names, Golkar has taken
much of the heat. Bastion of the New Order regime, it has been
associated with corruption, collusion and nepotism.
Former party leaders and their cronies have been questioned
for corruption allegations. Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung was
sentenced to three years' jail for his role in a Rp 40 billion
(US$4.8 million) financial scandal, involving the National
Logistics Agency (Bulog). He remains free pending an appeal to
the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court judges in charge of deliberating Akbar's appeal
have failed to reach an agreement in their first deliberations
last Thursday and agreed to meet again this Wednesday.
Anti-corruption activists have staged protests in front of the
Supreme Court building, urging the judges to send Akbar to jail.
Last week a number of Akbar supporters held a protest in front
of the Supreme Court, raising fears of possible clash with anti-
Akbar protesters.
In his speech, Agung also urged Golkar members to mark both
party logos and the names of legislative candidates of their
choice.
"Some have suggested that the people can just mark party
logos. That is not wise," he said.
Under current electoral laws, ballot papers are valid if
voters mark both party logos and the names of legislative
candidates or just the logos of political parties. Should they
only mark the names of political candidates, the ballot papers
will be declared invalid.
Meanwhile, presidential hopeful Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo
Subianto told the crowd the country was in need of strong,
effective, and clean government. He also called for an
intensified campaign to uproot corruption.
"Corruption is very rampant. We must change this situation,"
said Prabowo, one of Golkar's seven possible presidential
candidates.