Golkar not out for special session: Akbar

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung reiterated on Friday his party had no intention of changing the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly to a special session which could impeach the President.

"We are not of a mind to change the Annual Session to a special session," Akbar, who also is speaker of the House of Representatives, said when discussing his party's position ahead of Monday's start to the Annual Session.

He said the Assembly would listen to and evaluate the progress reports by President Abdurrahman Wahid, the House and other state institutions.

Akbar said Golkar Party's evaluations would be aimed at improving the performance of the government.

On the country's economic recovery, he said his party would highlight that the state of the economy still left much to be desired.

"Although the fundamental economics and economic growth show improvement, we still think the economy has yet to really begin its recovery since the improvements were only triggered by the consumer sector," he said.

He said Golkar also would underline the President's controversial style of leadership during the session. However, he said the party would not bring up the Bulog and Brunei scandals because they already were discussed in the House.

Commenting on the spate of violence targeting Golkar Party and its supporters, such as the burning of party flags, Akbar said the party would go through legal channels to settle the problem.

He said demands that Golkar Party, which was used by former authoritarian president Soeharto as his political vehicle, be banned were undemocratic.

"People cannot ignore that we secured a significant number of votes during last year's general election," he remarked.

Separately, dozens of students from Gen. Soedirman University and the Purwokerto Islamic Institute staged a rally in Purwokerto, Central Java, to condemn Golkar. During the rally on Friday, a number of protesters burned the party's yellow flag.

"We should be aware of Golkar and its cronies, which are trying to return to power," rally coordinator Uyi said in a speech.

The students marched along a five-kilometer route from their campuses to the city square, unfurling banners condemning Golkar during the four-hour rally.(45/jun)