'Golkar, TNI' deliver crucial votes

'Golkar, TNI' deliver crucial votes

JAKARTA (JP): Anti-Megawati Soekarnoputri sentiment, rather
than definitive support for Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, may have
been the deciding factor in the distribution of votes, which
eventually landed Abdurrahman with the nation's top job.

A.M. Fatwa, chairman of the Reform faction at the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR), said that divisions within the
Golkar Party of Reform faction and the Indonesian Military
(TNI)/National Police faction were the deciding factor in the
"axis force's" candidate's electoral success.

"Similar to factions grouped in the central axis, most members
of the Golkar faction did not cast a vote for Megawati because
they felt humiliated by their (the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle -- PDI Perjuangan's) failure to ensure an acceptance of
Habibie's accountability speech in the earlier vote," he said
after Wednesday's presidential election.

"If Golkar contributed say 80 percent of its 185 members, and
the 38-member TNI supported Gus Dur, more than 300 votes went to
Gus Dur. The remaining votes came from the divided National
Awakening Party (PKB) faction and the interest group faction."

United Development Party (PPP) deputy chairman Zarkasih Nur
said his faction had not supported Megawati's nomination because
it objected to a woman leading the country.

"That is why we gave our support to Gus Dur," he said.

Zarkasih said that his party considered Abdurrahman to be a
teacher for the nation and that he was also an acceptable
candidate nationwide.

Zarkasih speculated that strong support also came from within
the divided Golkar faction. Following the rejection of Habibie's
accountability speech, the faction was said to be facing internal
divisions.

"The voting pushed Golkar to solidify itself and throw its
support behind Gus Dur," he said.

"Votes from Golkar and PKB, as well as votes from members of
the axis force, all went to Gus Dur," Zarkasih said after the
voting.

The powerful backing from the Muslim-based parties sharpened
perceptions that PDI Perjuangan comprises strong non-Muslim
elements.

Yusril Ananta Baharuddin of the Golkar Party of Reform faction
estimated that some 80 percent of his faction voted for
Abdurrahman.

"We were very sad about our loss in Tuesday's vote on
Habibie's accountability speech," he said.

PDI Perjuangan legislator Syaifullah Yusuf also said there was
a polarization within Golkar.

"What I heard this morning was that 70 percent of the vote
(from Golkar) went to Gus Dur, and the remaining votes were for
Ibu Mega," Syaifullah said, adding that the figures were leaked
by a Golkar executive.

Former minister of home affairs Syarwan Hamid, who has a seat
in the Assembly as a Riau regional representative, acknowledged
that he voted for Abdurrahman. He said he backed Abdurrahman in
the hope that his actions would be more "sensitive" than
Megawati.

Syarwan, who is an active lieutenant-general, also divulged
that 11 votes from the TNI/National Police faction were believed
to have been cast for Megawati, while the remaining 27 were
allocated to Abdurrahman.

"Gus Dur has been well accepted by all elements," he said.
(emf/rms)