Hesitant reform proposal

Hesitant reform proposal

All of a sudden (the ruling party) Golkar has broken its
silence. Amid the endless roar of demonstrations and mass action,
Golkar's chairman, who is concurrently the paramount leader of
both the House of Representatives and the People's Consultative
Assembly, Harmoko, spoke to the media in a specially convened
gathering in Jakarta yesterday (Friday). With all the gusto and
oratory flair that are his trademark, Bung Harmoko said Golkar
would work toward restricting the terms that a president can
serve to just two.

For those who keep no tabs on Golkar's statements and policy
directions, Harmoko's stated aspiration may sound like a daring
breakthrough for reform. But for those who have observed Golkar's
actions and patterns of thought so far, Harmoko's intent is no
more than plain rhetoric. It is no exaggeration even to call it a
total about-face.

It is still fresh in our minds how Golkar, through Harmoko,
declared its outright rejection of proposals made in the People's
Consultative Assembly's General Session last March, to limit the
number of terms a president could serve. Harmoko even considered
such a suggestion unconstitutional. Now, the very same person
expresses the wish to limit the number of presidential terms one
can serve. This is an about-face of logic that confuses the
public.

It may be that Golkar desires to show its reformist spirit by
making such a statement. However, the urgency for reform at
present actually lies elsewhere. In 2003, Pak Harto (President
Soeharto) could not possibly accept the candidate. If it is
Golkar's purpose to silence criticism over Pak Harto's terms in
office, then our question is: what is wrong with Pak Harto? It
was, after all, the wish of Golkar, which, as the absolute winner
in general elections held since the establishment of the New
Order, that Pak Harto not be replaced.

Thus, the reform proposal enunciated by Golkar this time via
Harmoko is, in our view, a hesitant reform proposal. It is
certain that in 2003, even without Golkar's prompting, Pak Harto
will not wish to extend his term.

Golkar's wish as expressed by Harmoko this time is therefore
not important, much less urgent. Golkar will be remembered as a
true reformer if it amends, straightaway, the law governing
political parties and Golkar, the law on general elections, and
withdraws Golkar faction members whose recruitment smacked of
nepotism. If all it wants is to limit the presidential term,
then, we're sorry, that is nothing sensational. It only shows the
superficiality of Golkar's thinking.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta