Golkar issues pro-Mega circular
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.