Golkar comes out in force for Megawati
Golkar comes out in force for Megawati
Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post/Surabaya
Top Golkar leaders got tough on Sunday on behalf of presidential
candidate Megawati Soekarnoputri and her running mate Hasyim
Muzadi, threatening to take action against Golkar members in East
Java who failed to support her.
Golkar leader Akbar Tandjung ordered party officials in
Surabaya to support Megawati in the September runoff, saying the
issue had been decided at Golkar's leadership meeting on Aug. 15.
Akbar was accompanied by party heavyweights Mahadi Sinambela,
Theo F. Sambuaga, Agung Laksono, Yahya Zaini, Moch. Hatta and
Bomer Pasaribu.
Akbar and his entourage held meetings with Golkar officials in
Jakarta and Banten on Saturday, conveying the same tough message
that party members must accept the leadership meeting's decision
or face punishment. Akbar plans to visit Central Java and
Yogyakarta on Monday.
Golkar, which received the most votes in the April 5
legislative election, has decided to throw its weight behind
Megawati of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)
in her Sept. 20 runoff with Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Golkar, the PDI-P, the Muslim-based United Development Party
(PPP) and the Christian-based Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) signed
an agreement on Aug. 19 to support Megawati, and to form a loose
coalition in the House of Representatives until 2009.
The meeting between Akbar and Golkar officials in Surabaya was
marked by a protest by dozens of PPP members, who demanded that
their party withdraw its support for Megawati.
Akbar said in Surabaya that his meetings with Golkar officials
were aimed at communicating the party's decision to form the so-
called National Coalition in support of Megawati.
"We have to reach out to our constituents so that they can
understand our considerations (in supporting Megawati). Of course
we will not ignore their aspirations," he said.
Akbar said he expected up to 80 percent of the votes Golkar
received in the legislative election to go to Megawati in the
runoff.
"Golkar's political machinery, which failed to lead the
Wiranto-Wahid pairing to victory, is expected to work at the
maximum level in the second round," said Akbar, referring to
Wiranto and Solahuddin Wahid, Golkar's presidential and vice
presidential candidates in the first round of the presidential
election on July 5.
Wiranto and Solahuddin failed to reach the runoff, finishing
third behind Susilo and Megawati.
Some observers have noted that Akbar and other party leaders
have shown a greater willingness to campaign for Megawati than
for Wiranto, who defeated Akbar for Golkar's presidential
nomination.
During the visit on Sunday, Akbar and his entourage, together
with politicians from the PPP, the PDS and the PDI-P, also
inaugurated the four-party coalition in Surabaya.
Megawati's running mate, Hasyim, spent Saturday in East Java,
where he met with several leaders of the Muslim organization
Nahdlatul Ulama, as well as with Golkar members in the town of
Malang.
Hasyim said the next Cabinet would be more effective because
the ministers would be responsible to the President, not their
respective political parties.
Separately, National Awakening Party (PKB) leader Effendy
Choirie said his party would announce its stance on the upcoming
runoff after a national meeting in the coming days.
Effendy, however, said most PKB officials supported Susilo and
his running mate Jusuf Kalla.
He also said the National Coalition built to support Megawati
would have little effect on voters at the grassroots level.
"The people are clever enough to make their own choice," he
said.