No reshuffle in Golkar, Akbar remarks

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung dismissed on Friday reports that the party's top leaders, including Attorney General Marzuki Darusman, are going to be replaced in the party's leadership meeting scheduled to begin here on Tuesday.

Speaking at a news conference, which was specifically held to announce the planned three-day meeting, Akbar said Marzuki had "contributed a lot and demonstrated commitment" to the party.

"We think he has been active in demonstrating his support for the party, so there is no reason whatsoever to replace him," Akbar, who is also the speaker of the House of Representatives, said responding to a question whether Marzuki, one of the party's deputy chairmen, would be replaced.

But Golkar deputy chairman Agung Laksono, who is charged with overseeing the meeting, seemed to take a different stance when he told journalists that one of the meeting's agendas would be to issue a recommendation "to refresh" the party's central board.

Speculation has been rife of rifts between Akbar and Marzuki as the two have been at odds over the arrest of Central Bank Governor Syahril Sabirin.

The Attorney General's Office arrested Syahril last month for his alleged involvement in the politically explosive Bank Bali scandal.

Akbar once said the reason cited for the detention, that Syahril might flee and destroy evidence, was "inappropriate".

However, Akbar maintained on Friday that Golkar remained "solid" and he again dismissed suggestions that he would also like to get rid of former president B.J. Habibie's supporters within the party, popularly known as the Iramasuka caucus.

"I don't think that it (Iramasuka) would be a problem because we all now realize that Golkar will face very tough competition in the next election so we have no other choice except to consolidate all of the party's rank and file," Akbar said.

He said the leadership meeting, which would be held at the Jakarta Convention Center, was aimed at consolidating the party's political infrastructure in some 4,000 districts and 75,000 villages throughout the country.

More than 600 people, including the party's provincial and district leaders, would attend the meeting, Akbar said.

He also said part of the party consolidation would be to reregister party members.

"We once had some 30 million members. But that was then, while many now have either founded or joined other political parties," Akbar said.

Golkar was in second place with 22.4 percent of the vote in last year's elections, trailing behind the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, which took 33.7 percent.

Akbar also said the leadership meeting would issue a political statement on the performance of the government under President Abdurrahman Wahid.

Abdurrahman will appear before the People's Consultative Assembly next month to account for his turbulent nine months in office. (byg)