Golkar issues pro-Mega circular
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
The Golkar Party's central board has issued a circular ordering all regional chapters to support the reelection bid of President Megawati Soekarnoputri in the election runoff on Sept. 20.
Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung said on Friday all party executives and members must adhere to the circular, otherwise they could face party sanctions.
Akbar specifically warned all Golkar supporters against joining several dissidents in the party who backed the candidacy of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and running mate Jusuf Kalla.
"Through this circular, we have instructed all regional chapters and we will monitor the actions of Golkar members who ignore the party stance," Akbar told the press in Jakarta.
He said he deplored certain senior party executives, such as Fahmi Idris and Marzuki Darusman, for defying the Golkar leadership's decision to support Megawati-Hasyim Muzadi.
Akbar reiterated his warning against internal dissidents and said if they continued to oppose the party's policy, they could lose Golkar membership or face other sanctions.
No deadline has been set for the dissenting members to realign with the party.
Fahmi had said earlier he was ready to be dismissed from Golkar, but stressed that any major decision to remove him should be made at a national meeting.
He and Marzuki are among the Golkar leaders who have been promoting support for Susilo-Kalla during the upcoming runoff.
Last week, the two declared a Forum for Golkar Party Reform (FPPG) in a ceremony attended by Kalla, who is a supervisory board member of the party.
The forum was apparently set up to solicit support from Golkar members for Susilo.
Burhanuddin Napitupulu, who is in the FPPG, had accused the Golkar executive board of ignoring the aspirations of its grassroots supporters in regards the presidential election, claiming that many regional Golkar chapters supported Susilo- Kalla instead of Megawati-Hasyim.
Even so, the Golkar central board had decided in a leadership meeting to back Megawati-Hasyim, Burhanuddin added.
The FPPG is planning to meet senior Golkar members, including former chairmen Wahono and Harmoko, to discuss on Sept. 16 the forum's support for Susilo.
Akbar called on senior party leaders invited to the planned meeting not to show, because Golkar did not recognize the forum.
Most analysts believe that Golkar's support for Megawati would benefit Akbar's political career in the next general elections.
Unlike Susilo, Megawati would not be able to contest the 2009 presidential election if she is reelected this month for a second term. Thus, Akbar could vie for the presidency in 2009 with the support of Megawati, analysts said.
It has been alleged also that Akbar was therefore not serious in supporting the nomination of Golkar presidential candidate Wiranto, who was eliminated in the first round on July 5.
The Akbar-led central board had never issued a similar circular obliging all regional party chapters to support Wiranto's presidential bid.