Golkar and PPP in barter deal on commission chiefs

Golkar and PPP in barter deal on commission chiefs

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar and the United Development Party (PPP)
will likely barter for the chairmanship of the City Council's
Commission C on financial affairs, which was held by PPP for
several office terms.

Chairman of PPP, Achmad Suaidy, said yesterday that his party
agreed to hand over Commission C as long as secretary positions
of two Golkar commissions were filled by PPP councilors.

"If Golkar wants to chair Commission C, it's fine. But Golkar
should allow two PPP councilors to become secretaries of two of
the three commissions it will chair," Suaidy said.

Besides Commission C, Golkar also proposed to chair Commission
D on development affairs and Commission E on economic affairs.
The three commissions were considered the most influential
commissions of the council.

Suaidy insisted that his party's decision was not a compromise
with Golkar.

"We don't compromise. If Golkar agrees to let our councilors
become secretaries of their two commissions, we'll let them chair
Commission C," Achmad said.

He was optimistic that Golkar would not refuse PPP's proposal.
"I know Golkar will agree with it," Achmad said.

He said the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction, which would chair
Commission A on administrative affairs, has also agreed with the
peaceful offer by PPP, which will chair Commission B on economic
affairs.

On Tuesday, PPP was still determined to chair Commission C
even though Golkar proposed to take over the commission.

Golkar also took two of three deputy council speaker seats
after the other three council factions, ABRI, PPP and the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), compromised with Golkar.

However, the day before the council speaker and deputy
speakers were chosen on Tuesday, the three factions still opposed
Golkar's proposal. They said there should be only two deputy
speakers serving during the 1997-2002 office term, following
PDI's poor results in the general election in which it only got
one representative.

In the previous term, PPP, Golkar and PDI were each
represented by one deputy speaker.

Yesterday, PPP councilor Djafar Badjeber urged the council to
set aside the deputy chairman seat of Commission D on development
affairs for Lukman F. Mokoginta of PDI.

"This is a democratic country with three political parties, so
why don't we show our appreciation by letting him be the
commission's deputy chairman," he said.

Out of the 75 City Council members, 39 are from Golkar, 20
from PPP, 15 from ABRI and one from PDI. (ste)