Golkar wary over extended council leadership dispute

JAKARTA (JP): The ruling Golkar faction said yesterday it hopes the surprise results on the election of speakers at the provincial legislature would not become a precedent for the national level.

Golkar's secretary-general Ary Mardjono said yesterday the "lesson" from the leadership dispute in the Irian Jaya provincial legislative council should not inspire a similar dispute in the House of Representatives (DPR).

Despite occupying a majority of the seats in the Irian Jaya legislature, the Golkar candidate for the council speaker lost the nomination.

"We hope the Irian Jaya council leadership dispute will not extend to the national level, the DPR," Ary told reporters in a press conference yesterday.

Several political observers have predicted the same Golkar- ABRI row could again take place at the national level during the election of House Speaker in October.

Legislators had suggested that Harmoko's House Speaker nomination could be challenged by Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, a future legislator from the Armed Forces faction. The controversy immediately declined as some top government officials had signaled Harmoko was the man for the post.

But Harmoko's road to the House Speaker post will not be easy as the United Development Party's (PPP) chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum has declared his readiness to be nominated as House Speaker.

Speaking about the leadership dispute in Irian Jaya, Ary said the dispute is now settled "as the installation ceremony went on smoothly today (Monday)".

He said the Golkar central board had instructed the local legislators to attend the ceremony and not demand a re-election of the provincial council leader.

The initial installation ceremony of Col. Robert Sitorus as chief of the Irian Jaya provincial legislative council last week was postponed for failing to reach a quorum after Golkar legislators "boycotted" the ceremony.

Golkar's 32 elected councilors, in the country's largest province, were instructed by the central board to boycott the installation ceremony following the party's defeat by a candidate from the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction in the race for the chairmanship seat.

He said that Sitorus' victory was unexpected as Golkar legislators are supposed to hold a leading position in the legislative councils of which they have a majority.

"The assumption was the result of an agreement between elements in Golkar that as the winning party it must hold the leading position," he said.

The instruction, sent through facsimile, was issued to Golkar Deputy Chairman Moechtar who is the party's regional coordinator for Irian Jaya and Maluku.

Sitorus, secretly receiving support from many Golkar legislators, won the chairmanship 27-9, pushing aside Golkar candidate and preelection favorite T.N. Kaiway.

Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. has reportedly approved the election result.

Golkar's central board of executives last week sent a team to Irian Jaya to settle a dispute over the chairmanship of the province's legislative body.

The team, led by Secretary-General Ary Mardjono, consulted with the leaders of Golkar's office in Irian Jaya and the province's elected councilors as well as Chief of the Irian Jaya Regional Military Command.

As of yesterday, the Armed Forces faction won eight top legislative posts -- Jakarta, East Java, Yogyakarta, Riau, North Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Southeast Sulawesi and Irian Jaya. (imn)