Golkar apologizes for past mistakes

JAKARTA (JP): The dominant ruling group Golkar apologized to the public on Sunday for its past mistakes. The apology, given in the Idul Fitri spirit of asking forgiveness of one another, was thought by many to be long overdue.

"Apart from its achievements, Golkar admits it has yet to implement much of the public mandate (entrusted to it)," Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung said in a statement.

"Therefore in conjunction with the celebration of Idul Fitri, Golkar sincerely offers its apologies for these uncompleted mandates, and for its wrongdoings and mistakes in the past," he said, in the presence of other Golkar executives, at the party's headquarters in Slipi, West Jakarta.

Idul Fitri, he said, "is a moment of introspection and of forgiving one another, and also a moment to convey our gratitude to God." Forgiving one another, he said, "is a reflection of our sincere acknowledgement of our faults, including ... relations with people and our accountability to our Creator."

The ruling group came under strong criticism when it said last year it would not apologize to the public as demanded. Golkar chairman at the People's Consultative Assembly Marzuki Darusman said in a function that Golkar had apologized, which was later denied by Akbar.

Golkar has since prompted increasing speculation over its future. Speculation was further fueled last week when some senior members formed a breakaway splinter party.

Golkar, who's chief patron was former president Soeharto, is considered by many to hold much of the responsibility for the rampant corruption and rights abuses during its 32 years in power.

The statement went on to say that Golkar would from now be "always responsive to public aspirations" and would uphold the law and respect human rights.

PKP

Separately on Saturday Akbar shrugged off speculations that the recent establishment of the Justice and Unity Party (PKP) by a group of former party members posed a threat to Golkar's ambition to win the June 7 general election.

He said in Bandarlampung, the capital of Lampung, that he was not surprised with the launching of PKP as it had long been planned and the founders were former Golkar executives.

"Golkar is not worried," he said as quoted by Antara. "We have made sufficient preparations for the general election."

The Justice and Unity Party was established on Friday by former ministers under Soeharto's New Order regime, retired generals and Golkar dissenters. Former minister of defense and security Gen. (ret) Edi Sudradjat and former state minister of youths and sports Hayono Isman were elected PKP chairman and secretary-general respectively.

Former vice president Gen. (ret) Try Sutrisno expressed his support for the new party but remained a Golkar senior member.

Golkar will likely also to lose the support of the country's 4.1 million-strong Corps of Civil Servants (Korpri). Another long-time ally, the Association of Retired Military Officers (Pepabri) which is chaired by Try, has lifted the tacit obligation for members to vote for Golkar and now allows them to join any parties, including the PKP.

Akbar conceded Golkar would not be able to repeat its success of the 1997 general election, in which it won more than 70 percent of the votes, as more than 80 new political parties had now registered to contest the June 7, 1999 elections.

"It is natural that Golkar's vote earning will decline, due to the presence of new political parties, but we will still try to be the best," Antara quoted him as saying.

Akbar, who is also minister/state secretary, indicated that Golkar may consider inviting the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) to merge and form a new government this year.

He said he was familiar with PPP chairman Hamzah Haz, who is also state minister for investment, and a PDI leader, Panangian Siregar, who is the state minister for environment.

Akbar, however, did not mention the more popular faction of the splintered PDI, which is chaired by Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"Coalition with other parties is not impossible as long as we have a similar platform and vision," he said.

Separately, the chairman of the Crescent Star Party (PBB), Yusril Irza Mahendra, said politics after the June poll would likely be similar to that after the general election in 1955.

"The Indonesian political map will not change much from the 1955 political map, where there was not a single election winner," he said in a meeting with Indonesian students in Berlin, Germany. The 1955 poll is often mentioned as the country's best general election. It was the only election under founding president Sukarno.

Yusril, also a professor at the University of Indonesia's School of Law, expressed concern that the next government would be weak as it will most likely consist of many parties.

"No single party will come out of the elections with a majority of the votes," he said. (prb/01)