Golkar attacks government policy

JAKARTA (JP): The Golkar Party launched a stinging attack on the government of President Abdurrahman Wahid on Tuesday saying that inconsistent and controversial policies have pushed the nation closer to the brink of the country's worst multidimensional crisis.

In a nationally televised political address at the opening ceremony of the party's leadership meeting at the Jakarta Convention Center, Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung said Abdurrahman "seems to waste his legitimacy by not paying enough attention to economic recovery".

"The nation actually had high expectations that the election of Abdurrahman Wahid as president would bring the country out of the crisis. But during the course of its journey, this credible and legitimate government has failed to interpret the message that was mandated by the State Policy Guidelines (GBHN)," Akbar said to the cheers of thousands of Golkar supporters clad in yellow party colors.

"The government has issued controversial statements and policies and these have been prone to instability and political uncertainties that in the end will make the economic recovery even more difficult," he added.

Akbar said that those controversial policies were, among others, Abdurrahman's plan to revoke a three-decade ban on communism and the dismissal of Laksamana Sukardi and Yusuf Kalla in April as investment minister and trade and industry minister respectively.

"The reasons for their dismissal was artificial, superficial, inconsistent and not transparent and this has created uncertainties and made the other Cabinet members feel uncomfortable," Akbar said.

Akbar added that the ongoing violence in a number of provinces was "adding fuel to the fire".

Gus Dur, as the President is popularly called, has been under mounting pressure to end violent sectarian clashes in the Maluku islands which has killed thousands since it first erupted in January 1999.

Akbar said that due to the current political and economic uncertainties, the nation "is now facing the risk of being dragged to the second phase of a severe crisis".

"Like in a long dark tunnel, the nation can now only see a slight ray of hope at the end of it," he said.

Akbar also was critical of the government for trying to create a perception that all the troubles are due to conflicts within the political elite.

"What has been more worrying is that there are indications that certain parties are trying to shift the blame to political parties whereas the real problem is the President's inconsistency," Akbar said.

He also lashed out at the accusations that there had been a "systematic attempt" to topple the government.

"Political parties are not functioning well if they are not critical of the government, so it is very surprising if our criticism is considered as a conspiracy to topple the government," Akbar said.

He said that the accusations were baseless as "by constitution, the DPR (House of Representatives) cannot unseat the President and the President also cannot dissolve DPR".

While his address relentlessly censured the shortcomings of Abdurrahman's 9-month old government, Akbar did not touch on the fact that it was the Golkar Party who domineered Indonesian politics the previous three-decades.

Akbar's statements came only two days after all 11 factions of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) declared a unified stance to reduce mounting political tensions ahead of the annual session of the Assembly.

Political tension has sharpened between the government and the legislature, as well as between the four top political leaders - Abdurrahman, Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Assembly Speaker Amien Rais and Akbar, who is also speaker of the House.

Abdurrahman is due to appear before the Assembly in August to account for his turbulent ten-months in office.

Speculation is rife that the Assembly could try and topple the President during the session despite analysts' predictions that the likelihood of such a move succeeding is small.

Akbar said on Monday that the session would only serve as "an early warning system" for the President.

The three-day consolidation meeting is said to be aimed at internal strengthening and to disseminate the agenda for the coming Assembly session.

All current and past Golkar notables, most of whom had at one point held important government posts, were seen present at Tuesday's gathering.

Also present was Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri.(byg)