Harmoko sees Golkar's rivals as `undemocratic'

Harmoko sees Golkar's rivals as `undemocratic'

JAKARTA (JP): Harmoko, chairman of the ruling political group
Golkar, considers those who do not want to see Golkar grow
stronger "undemocratic, narrow minded and do not respect people's
political rights."

When briefing Golkar cadres in Kotamo Bagu, North Sulawesi,
Sunday, Harmoko said Golkar's landslide victories in past general
elections showed that most Indonesian citizens wanted the
organization to expand.

Harmoko, also the minister of information, said he knew of
people who meant to make Golkar shrink in favor of its rival
political parties.

Political organizations everywhere used the general election
to win as many votes as possible, he said.

Harmoko said, "If the people want Golkar to win 100 percent,
there is no one who can stop the people's wishes," Antara
reported.

"If, in an area, Golkar receives 100 percent of the votes,
then it doesn't necessarily mean there is no democracy in that
particular region," he added.

Golkar currently dominates the House of Representatives (DPR)
with 282 seats it obtained in the 1992 election. Its rivals, the
United Development Party (PPP) has 62 seats and the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI) 56. The Armed Forces (ABRI) reserves 100
of the total 500 seats in DPR.

It lost 17 seats in the last election, mostly in favor of the
nationalist-Christian alliance PDI, which won 16 additional seats
in the House.

Golkar, Harmoko said, aims to remain the dominant political
organization, offering programs which focus on the improvement of
people's welfare.

He reiterated that Golkar wanted to win the 1997 general
election in a fair manner.(pan)