Golkar shifts stance in political bills debate

Golkar shifts stance in political bills debate

JAKARTA (JP): The debate on whether Indonesia's 4.1 million
public servants should be allowed a political role has entered a
new phase with the dominant Golkar functional group showing signs
of relenting.

It has offered to drop the matter altogether from the
deliberation of the political bills in the House of
Representatives (DPR) and have it regulated instead by another
law.

Golkar Deputy Chairman Marzuki Darusman reaffirmed the offer
on Sunday.

"Yes, the offer still stands, if the government agrees to drop
it from the political bills and have it discussed as part of
another piece of legislation," Marzuki told The Jakarta Post.

Golkar's shift, after weeks of loudly insisting that barring
the public servants from joining political parties was tantamount
to rights violation, was welcomed on Sunday by relevant parties.

Golkar's political triumph over the other parties during the
past three decades has been attributed to its obliging public
servants to vote for it.

The shift "could solve problems ... we are considering the
offer," according to Ryaas Rasyid, the coordinator of the
government's expert team that deliberated the bills.

Ryaas said the current law on public servants could be amended
so that it includes the question of their involvement in
political parties in two weeks time. But he did not say how.

Cautiously, legislator Djufrie Asmoredjo of the United
Development Party (PPP) said his faction agreed to drop the
contentious issue, but wanted the government to make a ruling on
it. The PPP has been the most vocal opponent of Golkar over the
matter.

"There's another solution for Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan
Hamid ... namely to withdraw the issue from the bills through a
presidential decree, and then to rule at the same time that civil
servants may not be members or executives of political parties,"
he said.

"We agree it's a better solution," Djufrie said.

Golkar legislator Ginting Sutradara called for immediate
establishment of a government ruling on the matter so "none will
have to lose face ... it can be a solution to the stalemate
although in a temporary tactical sense," he said.

"Strategically and conceptually though a more dignified
solution must be sought," Ginting said.

The debate centers on articles seeking to bar civil servants
from politics -- which many believe is a prerequisite for a free
and fair general election -- in the government-proposed political
bills.

The Armed Forces (ABRI) and the Indonesian Democratic Party
(PDI) joined PPP in opposing Golkar's stance.

The deadlock brings the factions to raise the debate to high-
level lobbying between their leaders -- particularly for Akbar
Tandjung of Golkar, Gen. Wiranto of ABRI, Budi Hardjono of PDI,
Hamzah Haz of PPP and Syarwan Hamid of the government to decide.

Meanwhile, a source close to the deliberation told the Post
the pendulum has now swung back to Golkar. Related parties are
waiting to see whether it would now accept having the issue of
civil servants' political role regulated through a government
ordinance.

"Golkar knows that establishing a law on the matter will take
time," the source said.

And any extra time will only further Golkar's interests,
especially if the issue is left unaddressed before the poll, the
source added.

The source said that a bargain already offered was that for
Golkar "to let PDI and PPP win" on the civil servants issue and
for PPP and PDI "to let Golkar win" on the issue of electoral
districts.

Golkar and the Armed Forces -- supported by the government --
had insisted that House members were elected through a
proportional representation voting system at the regency level,
while PPP and PDI wanted them elected at the provincial level.

Separately, Megawati Soekarnoputri of Indonesian Democratic
Party (PDI Perjuangan) slammed Golkar because of its anti-reform
stance as shown in its persistence in trying to use civil
servants to bolster its votes in the elections.

The stance indicated the possibility that the election would
be far from the spirit of reform and demands for democratization.
(edt/aan)