Golkar may again act as 'kingmaker'

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)