DPP Golkar blocks Baramuli move

A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Golkar's executive board (DPP Golkar) has sent official letters to party chapters and branches throughout the country, urging consenting parties to reject any proposal for an early party congress (Munaslub).

The letters were a response to a series of faxes sent by Golkar board of patrons chairman A.A. Baramuli on Jan. 10 to party chapters and branches, encouraging them to support calls for an early extraordinary congress.

"Concerning Baramuli's letters, DPP Golkar has sent letters to the party's chapters and branches, asking them to stick to the party's internal rules," Golkar Chairman Akbar Tandjung told a press conference after attending a two-and-a-half-hour meeting at the party's headquarters on Friday.

The meeting was held just two weeks after a meeting between DPP Golkar and its board of patrons agreed to establish a Golkar Rescue Team.

The team, comprised of five board of patron members and one DPP Golkar member, was formed to give advice to DPP Golkar concerning the high profile Bulog scam, which may involve Akbar.

DPP Golkar, the Rescue Team members and the party's board of patrons met again on Friday to discuss the suggestions offered by the team.

Members of DPP Golkar attending Friday's meeting included Akbar, Agung Laksono, Fahmi Idris, Bomer Pasaribu, Slamet Effendy Yusuf and Sri Redjeki Sumaryoto.

The party's board of patrons attending the Friday meeting were Cosmas Batubara, who is the chairman of the rescue team, Muladi, Suhardiman and Pinantun Hutasoit.

Another prominent member, Baramuli was absent from the meeting.

According to Akbar, Baramuli sent a letter, explaining that he was absent because he "is undergoing a medical check-up in Singapore."

In his letter, received by Cosmas and DPP Golkar on Friday, Baramuli also rejected media reports that he had instigated the party's chapters and branches to support the holding of Munaslub in the near future, said Akbar.

In the history of Golkar, snap congresses have often been used as a way to topple the chairman of the party.

A snap congress requires support from two thirds of the party's regency branches, according to the party's statute.

"In his letter, Baramuli clarified media reports suggesting that he had sent faxes, asking the party's chapters and branches to hold a Munaslub," Akbar said in the press conference.

Suhardiman, Muladi and Pinantun Hutasoit were absent from the press conference, organized shortly after Friday's meeting.

Akbar said in the press conference that they had agreed that the board of patron members must only deliver advice within the party, and they should not expose the advice to outsiders.

Akbar also said that Golkar must be unified since the party was under pressure due to the Rp 54.6 billion Bulog scam apparently involving Akbar, who is also speaker of the House of Representatives.

DPP Golkar and the party's board of patrons agreed that the case would affect Golkar as a party, and the DPP must take strategic steps to save Golkar.

Those include the provision of lawyers from Golkar who would provide legal counsel, and work together with lawyers hired personally by Akbar.

Concerning Munaslub, Akbar said that Munaslub was not discussed in the meeting.

However, regarding a proposal to hold Munaslub, which came from Baramuli personally, Akbar said that Golkar allowed its members to speak their own opinions, since it was the essence of democracy.

"However, the members must stick to the party's rules," he warned, adding that party members can only air their views when it is made clear that it is a personal opinion.