Golkar threatens to withdraw support for govt

Golkar threatens to withdraw support for govt

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Golkar Party has threatened to withdraw its support for
President Megawati Soekarnoputri if her Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) backed moves to create a House
of Representatives' special committee to investigate House
Speaker and Golkar Chairman Akbar Tandjung.

Golkar legislator Antony Z. Abidin said on Sunday that the
withdrawal of Golkar support for Megawati's leadership has been
discussed among party leaders as an expression of their
disappointment with PDI Perjuangan legislators who strongly
supported the creation of the so-called Buloggate II Special
Committee.

"The establishment of a special House Committee to investigate
Buloggate II would be a character assassination against Akbar
Tandjung and Golkar ahead of general elections in 2004," Antony
was quoted by Antara as saying.

Megawati took over the national leadership in July riding a
wave of support from a rainbow coalition united against former
president Abdurrahman Wahid. Members of that coalition included
Golkar, the second largest faction in both the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR), the country's highest legislative
body, and the House of Representatives (DPR).

"The national political structure built as a result of the
2001 Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly is
quite strong. But it will change if the plan to set up the
special committee on Buloggate II is carried out," Antony warned.

The House Consultative Body (Bamus) will decide on Dec. 6
whether it will set up the committee or not. The possible
committee will be tasked to investigate Akbar's alleged misuse of
Rp 40 billion of State Logistics Agency (Bulog) funds when he
served as a minister/state secretary, a Cabinet level post, in
1999.

The petition, which was submitted by some 50 legislators from
various factions, was endorsed by the National Awakening Party
(PKB) and approximately half of the members of PDI Perjuangan. If
both factions unite they could control as many as 204 seats in
the 500-seat House.

In two previous meetings (Nov. 22 and Nov. 29), PDI
Perjuangan, which has 153 seats in DPR, and one-time ally, the
National Awakening Party (PKB) with 51 representatives, expressed
strong support for the establishment of the Buloggate II
committee.

Being the largest faction in DPR and the "ruling party", PDI
Perjuangan's stance on the issue could be decisive.

According to Antony, the administration of Megawati would be
badly shaken should Golkar decide to withdraw its support along
with its 120 DPR votes.

On Saturday, Golkar legislator Agun Gunanjar Sudarsa said
Golkar would propose an inquiry into irregularities concerning
the election fund in 1999 in a bid to foil attempts to set up the
Buloggate II committee.

"This would be our revenge. We will announce it at the
appropriate time," Agun told The Jakarta Post.

The proposal to set up a special committee should be prevented
because it will only aggravate disputes among factions in the
House, he said.

Political disputes among the parties will also affect the
management of state affairs.

"How can the government carry out its duties if the House
factions continue their dispute?" Agun warned.

Meanwhile, PDI Perjuangan Secretary General Sutjipto said on
Saturday that his party would leave it up to individual members
in the House to decide on whether or not the House creates an
investigation of Akbar.

"The executive board of PDI Perjuangan gives full authority to
its faction members in the House," said Sutjipto during his visit
to Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara on Saturday.

Sutjipto added that the official position of his party would
be announced at a plenary meeting of the House during which the
party would also announce its stance on the corollary issue of
whether or not Akbar should be dismissed from his post as House
speaker.

At present there have been 15 special committees assigned to
investigate different cases, including state oil firm Pertamina
and the Bank Indonesia Liquidity Loans (BLBI).

According to Agun, the proposal from the 50 legislators was
targeted at dissolving the Golkar Party so that it could not
contest the 2004 elections.

Earlier this year, Golkar had been instrumental in the setting
up of a similar committee that led to the ousting of president
Abdurrahman Wahid, the founder of PKB.