'Golkar should not dominate the legislature': Sultan

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, the king and supreme leader of the Yogyakarta sultanate, is also the local Golkar leader but is respected for his fair treatment of the other two political parties: the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

He laments, for instance, the PPP's decision to stop campaigning in Yogyakarta in protest of an attack by Golkar supporters on its local offices. He is reported to have exploded in anger at some of the Golkar supporters involved in the attack.

The following is his view of the ongoing campaign:

Question: The local PPP and PDI branches have removed their flags (and threatened to stop campaigning) in Yogyakarta. What do you think of this?

Answer: I really hope the two parties will soon fly their flags again and rejoin the campaign. This is for the sake of the region's stability. I wouldn't want to see Golkar alone campaigning and, later, winning the election.

We (Golkar) need counterparts (to supervise us) at the regional legislative council. If the PPP and PDI lose seats (following the election) and find it difficult to appoint deputy chairmen for the council, how will the body make decisions?

I don't want Golkar to dominate the decision making processes and override the other parties' representatives.

Q: What do you think drove the PPP and PDI chapters to remove their flags?

A: The PPP shouldn't have removed its flags, if only we had established communication and discussed problems. Since the first day of the campaign (last Sunday), (Golkar) has tried to communicate with them.

When (Golkar supporters) damaged PPP flags along Jl. Lingkar Utara during Golkar's campaign, we contacted PPP leaders and apologized. This was despite the fact that it was still unclear who damaged the flags.

Q: If there were really dialogs between party chapters' leaders, why did the vandalism of other parties' property continue?

A: Golkar is looking into the incident in Warungboto (where a PPP office was vandalized by Golkar supporters). We really regret it. I'm really afraid that if we let such things to continue, we could face even worse unrest. I don't want unrest, which has never taken place here, to happen.

Q: Golkar supporters seem to be brutal.

A: There have been numerous attacks against Golkar (properties) as well, and it would come to a huge amount (losses) if we really counted. But we let it go.

I'm just calling on the other parties' leaders to really communicate and talk every time we encounter a problem. Just like in the previous elections, when we made daily contact with the PDI and PPP.

Q: After the Golkar supporters' attack on the other parties, aren't you afraid of a backlash from the PDI and PPP?

A: We always try to improve communication with the other parties. Let's talk over any problems. I'm sure the flags were removed as a protest against the government, not us (Golkar). We're continuing with our own campaign agenda and are not afraid of trouble. (38)