MKGR youth group told to vote again

MKGR youth group told to vote again

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto wants the youth wing of
Musyawarah Keluarga Gotong Royong (MKGR) to call an extraordinary
congress to resolve the internal bickering within the
organization, which is affiliated to Golkar.

MKGR chairperson Mien Sugandhi briefed journalists yesterday
on her meeting with Soeharto, who is chief counselor of the
organization.

"The Central Committee of MKGR should quickly hold a meeting
and set up a presidium to prepare the extraordinary congress,"
she said, quoting Soeharto.

Mien did not say exactly when the extraordinary congress would
be held.

The bickering within MKGR began when Mien Sugandhi refused to
acknowledge the new executive board of the youth wing of the MKGR
formed in Lampung recently.

The new executive board was elected during a national congress
of the MKGR youth corps in Bandar Lampung on Sept. 20-22. To
Mien's chagrin, also State Minister for Women's Roles, the
congress elected Tantyo AP Sudharmono, son of former vice-
president Sudharmono, to the post of chairman.

At her house on Tuesday, Mien had already denounced the new
board and asserted that she would not recognize it on the grounds
that the election was not "democratic".

After meeting Soeharto in Merdeka Palace to report on this
latest development, Mien claimed that there were many procedural
errors at the congress during the election of the new chairman of
the youth wing.

Without elaborating, she warned that there are "elements from
within" who were creating these circumstances to undermine the
organization.

When asked if she had thrown her support behind a particular
candidate, Mien admitted that she had indeed made certain
recommendations.

When pressed further she acknowledged reports that a letter
had been floating around at the congress giving her support to a
certain candidate.

"Yes, it's true, but that was only a recommendation put
forward to the floor," she remarked, playing down the importance
of this letter.

Mien said the President also ordered the matter to be resolved
through MKGR's central board of executives and the advisory
board.

She further passed on the President's assertion that all MKGR
branches and affiliated organizations must remain under the
umbrella of the central board.

Mien herself went on the refute suggestions that the youth
wing of the MKGR had no organizational or structural obligations
to the central committee. (mds)