Golkar may curb voting rights

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

A close aide of Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung said on Friday that the party's regency chapters may not be given the right to vote in the upcoming national congress to avoid possible vote buying.

"We are afraid of money politics. The congress is too close to the convention, we fear that the convention experience would repeat itself," Agun Gunandjar Sudarsa said here on Friday.

During the presidential convention in April, Akbar was defeated by Gen. (ret) Wiranto in the battle to be named Golkar's presidential candidate amid vote buying allegations.

Golkar, the political machinery of former authoritarian leader Soeharto, will hold a national congress in Denpasar, Bali from Dec. 15 to Dec. 20 to elect a chairman who will lead the party for the next five years.

Aside from Akbar, some senior party cadres have been touted as possible chairpersons, including Gen. Wiranto, Surya Paloh and Marwah Daud Ibrahim.

Under the party's regulations, only the Central Executive Board (DPP), 33 provincial chapters (DPD I) and two affiliated organizations have voting rights in the election of party chairperson. The DPP has said it would not exercise its voting rights.

Agun, who is also a member of the steering committee for the congress, said that even if regency chapters were granted voting rights, it would not be made effective during the upcoming congress.

Zainal Bintang from the Mutual Aid Family Conference (MKGR), a Golkar-linked youth organization, had said earlier that giving regency chapters voting rights would boost Golkar's image.

MKGR, the Mutual Assistance Cooperative (KOSGORO) and the Indonesian Central Organization for Independent Employees (SOKSI) have demanded that regency chapters be given voting rights.

Sources said that the organizations, sponsored by old Golkar members including former state secretary Moerdiono, former vice president Sudharmono and former People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Harmoko, supported Wiranto as Golkar chairman.

Agun said he hoped Golkar, the country's biggest party, would be led by its own cadre and that giving regency chapters voting rights would only open the chance for outsiders to chair Golkar.

Meanwhile, political observer Fachry Ali said the issue in the Golkar Congress had shifted from the capability of the nominees to Golkar's internal regulations.

Fachry said the congress would become a battle between Golkar leaders who control the party (Akbar's faction) and those who stay outside (the old figures).

"Anyone who does not control the organizations will have difficulties in winning," he said.