Golkar backs down on threat to Mega

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.