Golkar prepares for the MPR special session

JAKARTA (JP): The Golkar Party will hold a one-day national working meeting on Wednesday to discuss the party's preparations for facing the special session of the People's Consultative Assembly, a party executive disclosed on Tuesday.

The party's faction chairman at the House of Representatives, Syamsul Muarif, said on Tuesday that Golkar would determine its final stance on the special session after the working meeting by gathering inputs from the party's branches across the country.

"We will discuss our stance on the possible election of a new vice president and on the candidates, the power-sharing idea, on the President's accountability and all related factors ahead of the Assembly special session," Syamsul told The Jakarta Post.

He underlined that the main purpose of the working meeting was to unify the perception of all Golkar party members, during and after the Assembly special session.

"We want to make sure that the stance of the party's central executive board at the coming special session will be accepted and supported by all of our branches across the country," Syamsul remarked.

The country may see a final showdown at the Assembly special session if President Abdurrahman Wahid's accountability is rejected.

Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is also the chairwoman of the largest party in the country, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), is strongly tipped to be appointed as the new president, while the Assembly is also expected to choose a new vice president.

The Golkar Party has so far played safe by exploring all political avenues open to it, talking both about a power-sharing deal that could sustain Abdurrahman's presidency and, at the same time, openly exploring possible candidates for the vice presidential post.

Golkar Party Chairman Akbar Tandjung, in his most recent meeting with Megawati last week, reportedly also reiterated that a power-sharing deal would be the best solution to end the current political impasse.

Golkar became the third major party to hold a working meeting after the National Mandate Party (PAN) and PDI Perjuangan, ahead of the special session due to be held on Aug. 1.

Akbar himself is due to open the meeting.

Golkar party deputy chairman Fahmi Idris remarked that the party might not field its own candidates to fill the possible vacancy in the vice presidential post, adding that it would also discuss the matter with other political parties.

Fahmi further said that another point to be discussed in the coming working meeting was the possible open vote over Abdurrahman's accountability in the coming session.

PDI Perjuangan has proposed that voting, which is usually conducted by secret ballot, be carried out via an open count.

MPR speaker Amien Rais has thrown his weight behind PDI Perjuangan and suggested that MPR amend its internal rules to enable it conduct an open vote over the President's accountability.

Through a secret vote, the Assembly last rejected the accountability of former president B.J. Habibie in 1999. (dja)