DPP Golkar blocks Baramuli move

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.