Golkar may curb voting rights

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.