Golkar may again act as 'kingmaker'

JAKARTA (JP): Former ruling party Golkar could again step into the limelight as "kingmaker" as it openly dallies with a possible presidency-saving compromise, while at the same time forging ahead with preparations for the special session of the People's Consultative Assembly which could unseat Abdurrahman Wahid.

While many political pundits had given up on Abdurrahman's survival as president, events over the past fortnight have signaled an ostensible momentum for a political deal.

Talk of compromise has been fueled by Golkar's suggestive, and sometimes seemingly inadvertent, rhetoric hinting at a power- sharing deal.

While Akbar has downplayed the suggestion as an "idea for discussion", he and United Development Party chairman Hamzah Haz also openly admitted that they had met with aides to the President to discuss the issues at stake.

On the other hand, Golkar is publicly asserting that it is still full steam ahead with the special session and the call for the President to account for his administration.

Akbar on Wednesday was also given carte blanche by his party when at the end of a working meeting here, it gave the central executive board the freedom to decide on the best course of action to take during the special session.

Akbar stressed that during the last meeting with presidential aides, "no agreement was reached."

However, he revealed that there were 10 points of discussion which included the official handover of the daily affairs of government to the Vice President.

Akbar also said that he had conveyed the idea to other parties, such as the National Mandate Party, and to Assembly speaker Amien Rais and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"Ibu Mega did not give any response at all because she was concentrating more on other topics. I never explicitly mentioned the idea to pak Amien but we have discussed this. I don't think there is a problem," he remarked.

"I have been mooting the idea for two months now. There was a chance for me to develop the suggestion, so I did. But we did not get any agreement," Akbar asserted.

Separately, PPP Secretary-General Alimarwan Hanan also played down talk of a compromise and a possible wavering of his party's support for the special session.

"It's just a suggestion from certain people who want to look for the best solution, and not a political decision. So we'll just have to wait and see what the next move will be," Alimarwan told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

However, he admitted that with "certain political support", the idea may change the purpose of the coming special session.

"Currently, our party's stance remains in favor of holding the special session and to ask for the president's accountability, but if the idea receives certain political support then maybe we will continue with the special session but for a different purpose," Alimarwan remarked.

He said the latest meeting was held on Monday night at Hamzah Haz's residence.

Should Golkar, the PPP and Abdurrahman's own National Awakening Party decide to line up behind a compromise, they would create a formidable bloc with 309 votes in the 700-seat Assembly

Golkar has 182 seats, the PPP 70 and the PKB 57.

A factor which may be encouraging the momentum for compromise is the apparent inactivity of the PDI Perjuangan, whose chairwoman, Vice President Megawati, has said little to explain her vision of the future despite being publicly touted as Abdurrahman's successor.

Despite occupying 185 seats in the Assembly, it could again lose out in the political battlefield as it did in 1999.

Fissures within PDI Perjuangan ranks have also become evident with the party proposing an open vote on the President's accountability report, a reflection of fears of a breakaway faction within the party's ranks.

Meanwhile, PAN secretary-general Hatta Radjasa remained confident that Golkar and the PPP would not deviate in their stances ahead of the special session.

"We still believe that their parties' stances are consistent with a special session and the demanding of presidential accountability. This is merely a discussion between them," Hatta told the Post.

The Abdurrahman camp on Wednesday voiced conflicting views on whether the President would make good his threat to impose a state of civil emergency if a compromise could not be reached.

At a meeting with martial arts' masters from Banten province at the residence of actor Ratno Timoer in Duren Tiga, South Jakarta on Wednesday evening, Abdurrahman said he would still announce the state of emergency on Friday "but it will be effective from July 31" pending a possible compromise.

Earlier in the afternoon in Bali, the President claimed that "positive" developments had been achieved in the negotiations between party leaders.

"There are efforts been made in the direction of a political compromise. But I cannot tell you the details since developments are taking place on an hour-to-hour basis," the President said. (zen/dja/prb)