Golkar meeting canceled

JAKARTA (JP): A scheduled Golkar meeting due to be held yesterday evening was canceled under the request of former president Soeharto who still holds the post of head of Golkar's board of patrons.

Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung disclosed yesterday that President B.J. Habibie, also the executive chairman of the patron board, canceled the meeting after receiving Soeharto's request which was conveyed through former vice president Try Sutrisno.

Members of Golkar's patron board and provincial patron chiefs, provincial governors, were slated to hold a meeting at the Armed Forces headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, yesterday evening.

News of plans that a meeting would be held at the Armed Forces headquarters was strongly criticized by the United Development Party who initially claimed that it was held over the weekend.

Akbar yesterday said the meeting was also slated to be attended by Golkar's greater family which included the Armed Forces and bureaucracy, in preparation for Golkar's extraordinary congress on July 9-11.

According to Akbar, Soeharto believes that the meeting should be preceded by a plenary meeting of all patron board leaders.

"As the executive chairman (Habibie) always prioritizes the unity and cohesion so he agreed and would prioritize the plenary meeting of the patron board," Akbar told journalists said after attending the swearing ceremony of new chiefs of the Navy, Air Force and National Police at the State Palace yesterday.

"Frankly speaking Pak Habibie and Pak Harto practically never meet. So as there was someone else who was relatively easier to meet with him, then the message was sent through this man. In this context it is Pak Try," Akbar explained.

Akbar, also secretary of the board, added that Golkar's patron board would meet sometime this week at its headquarter on Jl. Teuku Umar, Central Jakarta.

"We are still seeking for an appropriate day this week," said Akbar.

Letter

Separately, Golkar Chairman Harmoko also confirmed that a letter from the board of patron's secretariat asking for the cancellation of the planned meeting was received by the organization's central board Sunday evening.

He said the aim of the meeting was "a consultation and coordination meeting" of Golkar's greater family.

When asked why he thought the meeting was canceled Habibie replied: "Go ask the board of patrons".

Meanwhile Minister of Defense and Security Affairs/Armed Forces chief Gen. Wiranto said that in observance of the reform era, the Armed Forces (ABRI) would likely not continue its present relationship with Golkar.

"ABRI-Golkar relationship will not be continued," Wiranto told journalists here yesterday.

"In such a reform era, it's impossible for ABRI to maintain the status quo, including its position in Golkar," he said.

"Golkar should be independent and free from outside intervention...ABRI wants to maintain the same distance from all of sociopolitical elements in the country," he added.

Speaking on the upcoming congress, Harmoko revealed that one of the likely agendas would be to "reform" the board of patrons.

"In line with the reform spirit, we think, the board of patrons, the provincial council board and the board of advisors must be revised, reformed," he said without elaborating. (prb/aan/imn)