Golkar backs down on threat to Mega

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Golkar Party members seemed to be toning down their threats on Monday to withdraw their political support for President Megawati Soekarnoputri's administration.

"We are maintaining our stance not to support the special committee, but we will carefully consider any decision regarding the issue," Syamsul Muarif, a Golkar member in the Cabinet told The Jakarta Post.

Syamsul, state minister for information and communications, was referring to a special committee to investigate the alleged misuse of Rp 40 billion from State Logistics Agency (Bulog) involving the party's chairman and House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung.

Golkar will carefully weigh the pros and cons of withdrawing support from the government, he added.

However, he said that as a party member he will obey the decision from Golkar, the second largest party in the House, if he is asked to leave the Cabinet.

Earlier, Golkar members said that the party should retract their members from the government's executive branch and withdraw their political support for Megawati.

Tension between Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the largest party, which is led by President Megawati, has intensified after the latter supported the establishment of the committee.

Another Golkar member in the Cabinet Sri Redjeki Soemaryoto, who is the state minister for women's empowerment, shared Syamsul's view.

"Just watch what happens should the special committee be established," she warned.

Akbar said Monday that the party's meeting last week did not discuss the withdrawal of its members from the Cabinet and brushed off threats from Golkar's members as personal statements.

Deputy Secretary-General of PDI Perjuangan Pramono Anung meanwhile, said he did not take the threats seriously.

"The support to the government is, of course, not from individuals, but from the political party," Pramono told The Jakarta Post Monday.

Separately, two Golkar members Agun Gunandjar Sudarsa and Anthony Z. Abidin said they had tried to prevent the establishment of a special committee to investigate a Rp 54.6 billion 1999 election fund scandal.

According to the Government Watch Coordinator Farid R. Faqih, some parties, including the United Development Party (PPP) and the Crescent Star Party (PBB) had also taken part in the scandal in 1999.

PPP chairman and current Vice President Hamzah Haz was accused of having received Rp 24 billion while PBB chairman Yusril Ihza Mahendra allegedly received Rp 1 billion.