Habibie to chair Golkar's board of patrons meeting

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie, in his capacity as the executive chairman of Golkar's board of patrons, will chair a board meeting this evening at the political organization's headquarters on Jl. Teuku Umar, Central Jakarta, Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung said yesterday.

Former president Soeharto, the chief patron of the board, will, however, not be present.

Soeharto will be represented by his deputy, former vice president Try Sutrisno.

The board is comprised of 14 members.

"The meeting will be headed by Pak Habibie in his capacity as coordinator of Golkar's board of patrons, and on this occasion the views of the chief patron (Soeharto) will be conveyed by deputy chief Pak Try Sutrisno," Akbar said after meeting with Habibie at the Bina Graha presidential office.

Akbar, also the secretary of the board, said the meeting's agenda would focus on preparations for Golkar's extraordinary congress.

The three-day congress will start here Thursday.

Soeharto vetoed a planned Golkar meeting for last Monday which would have been attended by representatives of Golkar's Big Family, which includes the Armed Forces, bureaucracy and the country's 27 provincial governors.

Soeharto told Habibie, through Try, that such a meeting should be proceeded by a meeting of the board of patrons.

Try said later that Monday's planned meeting was in violation of Golkar's procedures.

However Try's statment was separately refuted by Akbar who said the planned meeting had been conducted in accordance to proper procedure.

This evening's patron board meeting will discuss six subjects, including finding the best way to maintain Golkar's unity, strengthening confidence among its cadres, new statues and in- house rules to reflect the reform spirit and preserving and improving Golkar's infrastructure and facilities built over its 34-year existence.

Akbar did not elaborate on what he meant by Golkar's facilities, but Soeharto chairs the Dakab foundation, established in 1985 to provide financial support for Golkar. Its assets are worth Rp 836.20 billion. (prb)