Golkar plans to establish school to improve cadres

Golkar plans to establish school to improve cadres

JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the dominant Golkar, Harmoko, said
over the weekend that Golkar would establish a school designed to
improve the quality of its political cadres.

"The school is meant to increase our political cadres'
qualities in anticipating the future challenges of globalization
and trade liberalization," Harmoko said while addressing a
seminar on Golkar's concept for the 1998/2003 State Policy
Guidelines in Medan, North Sumatra, on Friday evening.

The school, to open in July, will run courses on practical
political knowledge and skills.

"Rather than just mastering political matters, Golkar cadres
should also master subjects on the economy, social affairs and
human relations," he said.

Commenting on Harmoko's concept, political observer Arbi Sanit
said such a school would be beneficial in educating cadres of
political organizations so that they would be ready to practice
real politics.

"Equipping cadres with political skills and other practical
knowledge is important as such skills cannot be found in formal
university classes," Arbi told The Jakarta Post Saturday.

He cited two seasoned politicians, A.A. Baramuli and Umar
Tosin, who were products of a similar political school organized
by the now-defunct Moslem political party Masyumi in the 1950s.

Baramuli is now a Golkar legislator, while the late Umar Tosin
was an activist of the new Masyumi organization.

Arbi told the United Development Party (PPP) and the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) to follow Golkar's lead, saying
it was better late than never to prepare cadres in such a
systematic manner.

"The PPP and the PDI should not be ashamed of following
Golkar's move," he said.

A member of Golkar's Research and Development Center, Amir
Santoso, said that whether such a school could succeed would
depend mainly on its programs.

"The school should prioritize lessons on nationalism. As a
nation, we are now experiencing the increasing trend of
compartmentalizing between groups in society," he told the Post.

"Indonesia is a huge and heterogeneous nation. All we need is
common a perception in viewing state affairs and policies," he
said.

Commenting on Harmoko's plan, Amir said the newly appointed
state minister of special assignments might have observed the
importance of equipping Golkar's legislators with knowledge on
crucial subjects, including politics and international relations.

"Many Golkar legislators come from regions and provinces far
from Jakarta. They need such knowledge," he said.

Golkar had a landslide victory in the 1997 general election
with 74.3 percent of the vote. PPP followed with a distant 22
percent and PDI with 3 percent. (imn)