Golkar promises to fight employee infractions

Golkar promises to fight employee infractions

JAKARTA (JP): The ruling Golkar yesterday promised supporters
and prospective voters to spearhead a national drive against
"infractions" spanning from sexual harassment to corruption.

Deputy chairman Agung Laksono announced yesterday that the
issues Golkar would focus on during the election campaign next
year included a total of 69 state problems the grouping has
identified as facing the nation and in need of resolution.

"Golkar will promote a national campaign against
irregularities in the campaigning sessions for next year's
general election," Agung said here yesterday.

Among the problems are social and economic disparities,
monopolies, sexual harassment against women, poor law
enforcement, corruption and collusion practices among the
bureaucrats, he said.

Agung did not deny allegations that the irregularities were
mostly committed by government employees, who are Golkar members.
However, violations were committed by "individuals," not the
organization, he insisted.

Golkar is contesting the election against the United
Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party
(PDI). Only 425 of the 500 seats at the House of Representatives,
are up for grabs. The remaining 75 seats are reserved for the
Armed Forces, whose members do not vote in general elections.

Eligible Indonesian voters will cast their votes in next
year's May 29 general election.

Accompanied by other Golkar leaders, including Aulia Aman
Rachman, Gunariyah K. Mochdie and Abdullah Fahmi Alatas, Agung
guaranteed that the grouping's vote-canvassers would talk only
the truth and would not make empty promises.

Golkar has won all of the past five general elections. In
1992, Golkar won 282 seats in the House, 17 less than the
previous election in 1987. The Moslem-oriented PPP obtained 62
seats, while the Nationalist-Christian PDI won 56 seats.

Insisting that Golkar should retain a controlling majority in
the House, its leaders have said they are determined the
organization will win at least 70.02 percent of the total vote in
the general election.

Campaigning is restricted to a 25-day period by electoral law.
Next year's campaigning is scheduled to begin on April 29 and end
on May 23. There is normally a cooling-off period of seven days
before the election day.

When asked about some of the unfulfilled promises made by
Golkar in the 1992 general elections, Agung only said the
organization has made an inventory of them with the intention of
meeting them later.

Agung also said Golkar would train 1,200 cadres in a 20-day
program so they become quality campaigners.

A number of prominent speakers, including sociologist Selo
Sumardjan, communications expert Bachtiar Aly and social
psychologist Sarlito Wirawan Sarwono will brief the training
participants. Also to brief the training sessions are Golkar
chairman Harmoko and other Golkar central board officials.

Separately yesterday, Golkar chairman Harmoko defended the
current proportional election system, which he said minimized the
practice of "money politics".

He said replacing the current system with the district system,
as some people have demanded, would increase the likelihood of
personal meetings between individual candidates and their voters.
This situation, he argued, would be a fertile ground for money
politics.

Harmoko was speaking in Malang, East Java, at a Golkar
meeting.

The issue of money politics was recently brought forward by
senior political expert Roeslan Abdulgani, who said the political
clout of Indonesian tycoons had grown to the extent that they
were now able to maneuver political situations to their own
advantage. (imn/25)