Habibie won't be included on Golkar board, says Gafur

Habibie won't be included on Golkar board, says Gafur

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar ended its three-day leadership meeting on
Monday deciding that one of its most senior members, B.J.
Habibie, would no longer have any formal position in the party.

Golkar deputy chairman Abdul Gafur was quoted by Antara as
saying after an unscheduled meeting with Habibie at the Merdeka
Palace that the President would not be included on Golkar's
advisory board. Gen. (ret) Edi Sudradjat, who is a former Armed
Forces commander, would be asked to sit on the board instead,
Gafur added.

During the New Order regime, then president Soeharto was
always automatically given the position of the all-powerful chief
of the board of patrons. Following the student-led reform
movement that forced Soeharto to resign in May, Golkar abolished
the board of patrons and replaced it with a board of advisors, of
which Habibie was made chairman.

Edi was a contender for the chairmanship in the extraordinary
congress in August, but he lost out to Akbar Tandjung, who is
also minister/state secretary. However, Edi insisted he would
continue to support Golkar.

Analysts believe that a tacit power struggle for control of
Golkar exists between Akbar and Habibie. Despite its tattered
image for being Soeharto's vehicle to retain power and the status
quo, some analysts consider Golkar will still be a major
contender and power base in both the general election and the
presidential poll next year.

In his closing address, Akbar disclosed that Golkar was
replacing some its members in the People's Consultative Assembly.
The chairman of Golkar faction at the Assembly, Ginandjar
Kartasasmita (who is also the coordinating minister for economy,
finance and industry) was replaced by human rights campaigner
Marzuki Darusman.

Four other members who are also cabinet ministers -- Fahmi
Idris, Agung Laksono, Theo Sambuaga and Adi Sasono -- were
replaced by, among others, Marwah Daud Ibrahim and Freddy
Latumahina.

Akbar vowed to bring Golkar to victory in the elections.
Claiming a membership of 38 million across the country, plus 12
million of supporters in rural areas and 2.5 million in various
places such as the bureaucracy, Akbar said Golkar was committed
"to establish a new image and disconnect itself from its old
image."

Apology

The last day of the leadership meeting itself was marked by a
heated discussion on whether Golkar needed to issue, on Tuesday
when it celebrates its 34th birthday, a formal apology for its
past political mistakes under Soeharto.

The meeting also discussed whether Golkar needed to
restructure its membership, which is currently made up of three
elements: the Armed Forces, the bureaucracy and the Functional
Group, or Golkar's individual cadres.

Fahmi Idris said on Monday there had to be strong grounds for
the organization to apologize to the nation.

"There is nothing to apologize for," Fahmi, also minister of
manpower, told reporters in a media conference.

Akbar had on Saturday admitted Golkar's past political
mistakes, but clearly blamed Soeharto for a political system that
eventually led to a concentration of power in the hands of only
one man.

Akbar did not apologize, and some Golkar provincial leaders
also refused to do so.

"There's no such practice (of apologizing) because mistakes or
wrongdoings have not been committed by one single organization,"
Fahmi said.

One provincial chapter chairman said admitting mistakes was
necessary, but added: "It's wrong to put all the blame on
Golkar."

Arbi Sanit, a senior political scientist at the University of
Indonesia, said the refusal of Golkar leaders to apologize over
the party's wrongdoings and abuses of power in the past reflected
its arrogance.

Arbi said Golkar must definitely admit its faults to its
voters and prove that it was able to change its old habits.

"Golkar is the third biggest sinner after Soeharto and the
Armed Forces (ABRI) during the last 32 years. Golkar had cheated
its supporters. Its leaders know about this but refuse to admit
their mistakes," Arbi said. (imn/prb/swe)