Golkar apologizes for past mistakes

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)