Golkar cadres criticize government

JAKARTA (JP): Cadres of the ruling political organization Golkar issued a bold statement yesterday criticizing government performance and urging it to undertake political and economic reforms.

At two separate press briefings, Golkar leaders and officials from Kosgoro, one of Golkar's seven founding mass organizations, separately urged Golkar members in the bureaucracy to work hard to regain public trust in the government's credibility.

Kosgoro criticized the government's repressive interventions in sociopolitical activities and oppressive methods used against those demanding fundamental reforms in the political, economic and cultural spheres.

"Sociopolitical forces had inadequate room to develop in an innovative and communicative way as it was completely controlled by the government," said Kosgoro's year-end statement, read by deputy chairman John Pieris.

"The government also monopolizes the truth and controls the interpretative rights on political and state affairs," it said.

Chairman Bambang W. Soeharto and senior member Soenaryo were present at the press conference along with other Kosgoro leaders.

Meanwhile Golkar leaders suggested that the government intensify efforts to settle the ongoing economic crisis accurately, quickly and genuinely.

"The government should control prices of the public's nine basic needs, create a tight state budget, curb state and public spending and try to prevent layoffs of civil servants and private employees," said chairman Harmoko while reading the Golkar statement to journalists.

"In the long term, the government should attempt to conduct economic reform to strengthen the state economy and establish economic equilibrium mainly for the sake of low-income people," the statement said.

Kosgoro maintained that political stability was not the sole requirement in strengthening economic development.

"Political reforms are needed to eradicate the power monopoly of a group of strategic elites," it said. "The reforms will also create a democratic political climate to enable and increase public political participation."

Kosgoro suggested the government take firm action against state authorities found to be corrupt and collusive.

"The government must have the political will to eradicate corrupt and collusive practices by reevaluating and restructuring strategic government positions which are prone to corruption," it said.

Golkar also suggested the government develop a political management which could absorb public aspirations and anticipate global competition.

"As a pluralistic nation, Indonesia is susceptible to disintegration," the Golkar statement said. "The nation will have to pay extremely high social, economical and political costs if it fails to maintain its unity."

Speaking to reporters after the press conference, Harmoko said Golkar's decision to renominate President Soeharto was final.

He, however, rejected the idea of announcing its vice presidential candidates now.

"I will never reply to such question," he said, "If you (journalists) insist, just ask ICMI (the Association of the Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals)," he said.

Calling transparency an unavoidable issue in the state's agenda, ICMI suggested at an annual conference last week that it was now important to have transparent presidential and vice presidential elections.

At a separate discussion yesterday, the Center for Information and Development Studies (CIDES) said in its year-end evaluation that the country's political scene this year had been "a violent one".

In its evaluation entitled "The Dynamics of Indonesian Politics in 1997: Transition Toward Change", the center said the most violent and bloody incidents this year had been social riots, mostly triggered during this year's election campaigning.

Researcher Indria Samego, who presented the evaluation, told journalists that the "stagnant" and "formal" political channels were the main reason for public frustration which manifested itself in various forms of unrest.

"The government needs to do something about it to meet this phenomenon of massive radicalization. Otherwise, it will continue to escalate," said Indria, who is also a political observer from the National Institute of Science.

Indria said that the government would also need to effectively address the country's economic situation since the legitimacy of the New Order government had rested on its successful development program. (aan/imn)

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