Golkar falling apart over support of Megawati

Golkar falling apart over support of Megawati

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The leadership of Golkar is facing a serious challenge in
deciding what to do about the growing number of party members --
both executive and grassroots -- who have openly defied the party
leaders' dictate to support Megawati Soekarnoputri in the
presidential election.

Political analyst Maswadi Rauf of the University of Indonesia
said that the dilemma for the country's largest party was between
maintaining unity, one of its strongest features, and appearing
firm against internal dissent.

"If Golkar's executive board wants to keep party unity, it has
to tolerate the maneuvers of its members," Maswadi said during a
discussion here on Friday.

A number of prominent Golkar executives such as former
ministers Fahmi Idris and Marzuki Darusman have said they are
supporting Megawati's rival, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his
running mate and Golkar member Jusuf Kalla.

Signs of friction were made public shortly after Golkar leader
Akbar Tandjung threatened to dismiss anyone who wanted to make
their own choice on the ballot.

Also speaking during Friday's discussion were Golkar deputy
chairman Rambe Kamarulzaman, who supports Megawati and her
running mate Hasyim Muzadi, and Golkar veteran Burhanuddin
Napitupulu who supports Susilo-Kalla.

Rambe stated that Golkar welcomed differences of political
ideas and opinions.

"However, when the party makes a decision, all party members
must follow it. That is democracy," Rambe claimed.

Golkar's decision to support Megawati follows the failure of
its candidate Gen. (ret) Wiranto to make it to the Sept. 20
runoff.

The decision was made at a leadership meeting on Aug. 15
attended by leaders from 31 provincial chapter heads, central
executive board members, and the party's other key organizations.

The party was divided, with 24 provincial chapters supporting
Megawati, two (Papua and South Sulawesi) backing Susilo and the
rest choosing to remain neutral.

Akbar and his loyalists claimed that the decision was made
through a democratic process.

Several Golkar leaders, however, challenged the decision,
saying that it was the intention of the party's elite leaders and
they were ignoring the wishes of the grassroots members.

Golkar veteran Napitupulu said he and many others had the
support from party leaders in the provinces and regencies. He
added that Golkar leaders ignored public aspirations, and cited
the fact that in South Sulawesi, more than 60 percent of the
people voted Golkar in the legislative election, but most of
those voted for Susilo -- over Golkar's Wiranto -- in the first
round the presidential election.

Out of 24 Golkar regency chapters in West Sumatra, 20 have
declared their support for Susilo-Kalla, he said.

Napitupulu added that also in Central Java, from 32 regency
chapters in the province, 27 of them supported Susilo-Kalla.

However, the regency chapter delegates were not allowed to
vote in the Aug. 15 leadership meeting, instead they were
supposedly represented by the leaders of their provincial
chapters.

Napitupulu alleged that Golkar's provincial leaders only
agreed to support Megawati after being promised preferred
positions such as speakers of their local legislatures (DPRD).