Golkar executives deny patrons' charges

Golkar executives deny patrons' charges

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar executives have rejected their patrons'
accusations of failing to respond to calls for reform.

But they were quick to douse speculation that the strong
interchange with their patrons was a sign of a rift within the
dominant political organization.

Agung Laksono, a Golkar deputy chairman, said the patrons
failed to provide evidence to substantiate their claims.

"It's baseless for the patron board to accuse us of failing to
react positively and imbue a sense of calm among the people
following the May riots," he told reporters at the Golkar
secretariat in Slipi, West Jakarta, Saturday.

Agung, who is also minister of youth affairs and sport, said
the executive board had instructed all its cadres nationwide to
establish crisis centers to provide shelter for victims of unrest
in the wake of the May unrest.

He said the board had also instructed its cadres to make full
use of Alert Command Centers and coordinate with the Armed Forces
to prevent the riots from escalating.

"The patrons board's statement was unfounded," he said while
charging that the patrons have neglected to coordinate with the
executives to seek solutions to all problems.

Golkar patrons blasted the executive board Friday for
belatedly anticipating and responding to calls for reform and for
failing to react positively and imbue a sense of calm among the
people following the May riots.

Friday's statement was another demonstration of the apparent
split between the board of patrons, headed by former president
Soeharto, and the executive board chaired by Harmoko.

Last week Soeharto again flexed his authority as head of the
patrons board by vetoing a planned meeting of Golkar's Big
family. The move was evidence that Soeharto still wields
considerable power in the dominant faction.

The strong interchange of words comes ahead of an
extraordinary Golkar congress on Thursday which many believe will
see Harmoko challenged and a debate on the abolition of the board
of patrons.

While the executive board rejected the patrons' accusations, a
Golkar legislator, Indra Bambang Utoyo, acknowledged separately
that there might be some truth to the allegations.

"In my opinion, Golkar executives should examine themselves,"
he told The Jakarta Post Saturday.

He cited the decision by Harmoko in October to renominate
Soeharto for president, despite Soeharto publicly asking the
faction to reconfirm with Golkar cadres and members nationwide if
they really wanted him to serve another term.

"Harmoko immediately said that the Golkar executive board
would renominate pak Harto, without even checking with Golkar
cadres and members," Indra said.

Split

However both Indra and Agung said the stern words exchanged
would not threaten the integrity and unity of the organization.

"What's wrong with having differences of opinions?" Indra
remarked.

Agung said "We are not divided into separate factions, we only
have differences of principle".

Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid also said differences
were a common feature within any organization.

"The fact is that such differences could have been muffled in
the past, but nowadays they receive widespread publicity,"
Syarwan said.

Indra welcomed the plan to abolish the board of patrons.

"We have agreed to put the dissolution of the board of patrons
on the agenda of the congress and replace it with an advisory
board, which will have no veto rights and whose authority would
only be to advise the executive board," he said.

He said there has been an agreement to include the abolition
of the links of Golkar's three major components -- the Armed
Forces, the bureaucracy and representatives of social and
religious organizations -- to the political organization.

Of the efforts to maintain Golkar's supremacy, Indra said the
organization was now seeking leaders to maintain the ruling
political organization's position in the future.

"I'm still confident that Golkar will survive," he said.

"In my opinion, a figure like pak Edi Sudradjat could meet the
requirements," he said , referring to the former minister of
defense and security. (imn)