Golkar criticized over succession comments

JAKARTA (JP): Political observers said yesterday that the ruling political grouping Golkar had adopted a double standard, hushing public debate over the question of the national leadership succession, while allowing its youth wing to start talking about who should be the next president.

Syamsuddin Haris of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences and Jusuf Syakir of the United Development Party both criticized Golkar youth leader Ais Said for stating that the ruling political group would soon ask President Soeharto to allow himself to be nominated for the presidency once again in 1998.

"Golkar is inconsistent," Syamsuddin said, recalling that Golkar chairman Harmoko once called it "unethical" for anyone to discuss the question of the presidency ahead of election time.

"It's part of the group's political game," Jusuf said. "I can see that Golkar has already set the ball rolling ... It's not only Ais' statement, but all those visits by ulemas to President Soeharto -- they are also part of the snow-ball."

Ais, chair of the Generasi Muda Gabungan Karya Rakyat Indonesia, which is the youth wing of Golkar, made the call on Sunday, much to everybody's surprise, given the position Harmoko has taken over the issue.

Jusuf said that Ais could not have made the statement without the knowledge of Golkar's executive board leaders. "I believe they knew it ... It's all part of the game."

Sabam Sirait of the Indonesian Democratic Party refused to comment on Ais' statement, saying that Golkar leaders should first hold a meeting to decide whether it is now ethical for the public to start discussing the succession of the national leadership.

"Go ask Golkar first," he told The Jakarta Post during a break in a seminar on politics at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences. "Tell Golkar to hold its meeting so that they all have the same voice, and it's not only its chairman who speaks."

"Tell Golkar to listen to the wishes of its youth leaders. If they have reached an agreement over whether it's now ethical to hold discussions on succession, then you can ask for my opinion."

Syamsuddin said the ruling elite, including Golkar and its allies in the Armed Forces, are highly sensitive about anything that might be seen as threatening the status quo.

"They have this fear...which drives them to issue statements which may mean setbacks for society," he said.

Among such statements, Syamsuddin said, are those made by senior military officers, including assistant to ABRI chief for social and political affairs, Maj. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, that ABRI cannot be neutral and that it has chosen Golkar as its partner in achieving its political goals.

"They have such a fear probably because they realize that parts (of the system) have been weakening," Syamsuddin said. He said the decline in Golkar's votes in the 1992 general elections and the fact that the ruling group is being led by a civilian for the first time are among the reason's for the "fear" on the part of the elite.

"If we want to have a really neutral Armed Forces, then we'll need to re-examine the format of our political system...That may mean an overhaul," Syamsuddin added. (swe)