Golkar prepares for the MPR special session

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)