Golkar meeting canceled
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)