'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)