Golkar sets up team for Habibie

Golkar sets up team for Habibie

JAKARTA (JP): The ruling Golkar Party has established a team
of strategists, headed by party chairman Akbar Tandjung, to boost
President B.J. Habibie's chances at the next presidential
election.

Akbar told the media at Golkar's office here on Thursday that
the team was official, and was different from groups of
individuals close to Habibie that some media reported had been
campaigning to get him elected president for the next five years.

"If there are other people who also set up teams to ensure
Habibie's victory, then... they have nothing to do with us.
Although, of course, it is always possible for these different
teams to cooperate before the (presidential election)," Akbar was
quoted by Antara as saying.

"This team of strategists will be directly under the command
of the chairman," he said. "Its tasks will be to lobby, approach
and persuade various parties to support Habibie."

Akbar said Habibie had yet to be informed of the decision,
which was taken on Wednesday after a routine meeting of Golkar
leaders. He declined to reveal the amount of funds being set
aside for the campaign.

In addition, Golkar also set up four other teams to help it
prepare for the General Session of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) in November. They are a team in charge of Golkar's
preparations for the State Policy Guidelines (GBHN), a team in
charge of affairs outside of the GBHN, a team to prepare
Habibie's accountability speech, and a team that will campaign
for Golkar's proposal for the amendment of the 1945 Constitution.

The GBHN team is led by deputy chairman Theo Sambuaga, and it
will study "the best format and material" for the next GBHN,
Antara said.

The non-GBHN team is led by deputy chairman Agung Laksono, the
accountability team led by Fahmi Idris, while the team for the
amendment of the constitution is led by deputy chairman Marzuki
Darusman.

The accountability team will be in charge of monitoring and
studying how well Habibie observed the decrees of the MPR Special
Session last November, including those on clean governance and on
the promotion of human rights.

"Golkar will closely scrutinize (Habibie's performance)
because (the observations) will form the party's basis to
nominate Habibie (in the presidential election)," he said. (swe)