Feisal reelected Korpri chief

JAKARTA (JP): For the first time in its 27-year history, the five-million-member Civil Servants Corps (Korpri) elected its chairman on Wednesday.

Chosen was incumbent chairman Feisal Tamin, secretary-general of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Based on a regulation, the chairman of Korpri was always previously the home affairs ministry's secretary-general. Korpri was established on Nov. 29, 1971.

In the closing ceremony of the organization's three-day congress, Feisal reiterated civil servants' neutrality in the June 7 general election in casting their vote.

He added later that even the one million employees of state- run firms who are now Korpri members could opt to resign and side with another organization.

"Following the issuance of a 1999 government regulation, Korpri has become a neutral organization and we have abandoned our membership in the Golkar political grouping. We are no longer affiliated to any political party," Feisal said.

Golkar long relied on the votes of millions of civil servants and their families, plus members of affiliated organizations, to assure victory at the polls.

Since Feisal announced Korpri members would no longer be obligated to vote for Golkar, freeing civil servants from the fear of losing their jobs or promotions if they voted otherwise, several have relinquished their Golkar memberships.

The new regulation requires that civil servants, who are members of, or who intend to join, a political party, must have permission from superiors within three months after the regulation was issued on Jan. 27.

Feisal said he was awaiting the data on the number of civil servants applying to join parties. The congress was attended by 458 civil servants and state-owned company employees. (rms)