Golkar to end chief patron's veto right

Golkar to end chief patron's veto right

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar is set to rid itself of the board of
patrons, currently chaired by former president Soeharto, when it
convenes an extraordinary congress here tomorrow.

The three day congress is expected to bring in a new era for
the dominant political organization as it sets out a new format
for its organizational structure.

The chairman of the extraordinary congress organizing
committee, Waskito Reksosoedirdjo, yesterday revealed that
significant changes would be made in Golkar's policy-making and
advisory councils.

"We will include the abolition of Golkar's board of patrons,
board of advisors and board of councilors on the agenda of the
extraordinary congress," he told reporters in a media conference
at Golkar's secretariat in Slipi, West Jakarta.

"The three bodies have such enormous power, including the
authority to freeze Golkar's executive board," he said.

The veto rights of the board of patrons shows that even though
he has stepped down from the presidency, Soeharto still wields
considerable power over the organization.

The board of patrons flexed its muscles again last week when
it canceled a planned board meeting and later condemned the
executive body, chaired by Harmoko, for failing to anticipate and
respond to calls for reform.

Waskito said there were several options for replacing the
board of patrons, including the establishment of a new board with
a limited advisory role or the removal of the board of patrons
vetoing rights.

On the preparations for the congress, Waskito dismissed
speculation that the Rp 2 billion budget for the extraordinary
congress would be financed by the family of former president
Soeharto.

"We obtained the money from donors and Golkar's treasury fund.
It's halal (rightful). "It did not come from Cendana," he said,
referring to the street in Menteng, Central Jakarta, where
Soeharto lives.

Golkar has a funding system, kept at the Dakab Foundation,
which was established in 1985 mainly to finance Golkar's social
activities. Its assets are said to be worth Rp 836.20 billion.

Evolve

Analysts and even Golkar members have pointed out that
tomorrow's congress marks a turning point in the evolution of the
dominant political organization, particularly in its efforts to
become more independent from the Armed Forces (ABRI).

"Golkar should free itself from other binding structural
elements, including the Armed Forces, if it wants to emerge as an
independent political organization," Din Syamsuddin, chief of
Golkar's Research and Development Center, told reporters in
Semarang, Central Java, yesterday.

Mochtar Mas'oed, a political scientist from Yogyakarta's
Gadjah Mada University, also said Golkar would be acceptable to
all groups in society if it could free itself from the Armed
Forces.

"Golkar will then become an open political party and could
regain the people's trust as it did in the early years of its
existence in the 1960's," he said.

The Musyawarah Kekeluargaan Gotong Royong (MKGR), an element
in Golkar's big family which declared it would establish a new
party last month, indicated that it would actively participate in
tomorrow's congress if Golkar complied with the spirit of reform
and eradicated all collusion, corruption and nepotism.

Golkar was established in 1964 as an amalgamation of seven
organizations which included the Armed Forces, labor organization
SOKSI, cooperative movement Kosgoro and the MKGR.

So far calls for a new Golkar have been received a positive
response from the Armed Forces.

Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces Commander Gen.
Wiranto said on Friday that ABRI would be ready to forsake its
influential role in Golkar.

"There will not be any A (ABRI), B (Bureaucracy) and G (Social
and Religious Group) elements in Golkar any more," Wiranto said
at a congress of the Muhammadiyah Youth organization in
Pekanbaru, Riau, on Friday.

"ABRI will maintain an even relationship with all political
elements, including Golkar," he added. (imn/har/23/43/44)