Golkar leader sees ghost of Old Order

Golkar leader sees ghost of Old Order

JAKARTA (JP): A senior executive of the ruling political group
Golkar says he is disturbed by the emergence of new organizations
using names of defunct political parties of the Old Order era.

Abdul Gafur, a deputy chairman of Golkar's central executive
board, told a seminar on Saturday that although these new
organizations profess that their aim is to forge nationalism and
unity, they could actually undermine national unity.

Gafur said he was concerned because these new organizations
seemed to present themselves as extensions of defunct political
parties of the Old Order.

The Old Order is the phrase used to describe the
administration of Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, who ruled
between 1945 and 1967. The term is used to distinguish it from
the New Order, the official phrase used to describe the
administration of President Soeharto since 1967.

Gafur is one of the student leaders of 1966 who mobilized
massive street demonstrations that led to the downfall of Sukarno
and ushered the rise of Soeharto to power.

On Saturday, he and colleagues from his university days
grouped in Fosko 66 (a study and communication forum) organized a
seminar to discuss the presence of the new organizations.

"As an exponent of the 1966 Generation, we are concerned at
this development because apparently they want to pull back the
pendulum to the past," he said.

He maintained that his concern was not due to a fear of these
new organizations threatening Golkar's dominance, but because
they could sow discord in society and ultimately threaten
national unity.

At least three new organizations have emerged in recent months
that use acronyms or abbreviations similar to political parties
that were popular in the 1950s and 1960s. They are the new PNI,
the new Parkindo and the new Masyumi, respectively named after
the old nationalist, Christian and Moslem parties.

"After this, we could even have a new PSI," Gafur said
referring to the old Indonesian Socialist Party.

The number of political parties allowed to contest elections
was streamlined in 1973 to only three -- Golkar, the United
Development Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party. Subsequent
laws barred the parties from using religions as their ideology.

Gafur underlined the need for caution in treating the new
organizations, because they are old parties wrapped in new
labels. "The content is the same," he remarked.

"Looking at their content, we should be alert. Especially
since the new Masyumi has stated that it intends to be a new
political party in the future," he said.

He contended that if there is dissatisfaction or adverse
effects from the current political and economic conditions, then
people should address them through the proper channels.

"Let's join the already existing organizations and work to
improve things from there...Does forming new organizations solve
the problems? I think not," he said.

In contrast to Gafur, the Armed Forces (ABRI) took a more
neutral position about these new organizations, saying that it
did not see any problem, even in their choice of names, as long
as they comply with regulations.

ABRI Chief spokesman Brig. Gen. Suwarno Adiwijoyo told Antara
on Saturday said one of the reasons for their emergence is
people's discontent about the performance of existing political
and mass organizations in representing their interests.

But another reason is simply because there are now greater
political openness, Suwarno said. "They are taking advantage of
the openness permitted by the government." (mds/emb)

Masyumi -- Page 2