Opposition alliance a challenge to Golkar

Opposition alliance a challenge to Golkar

JAKARTA (JP): The newly set up alliance between three top
opposition parties poses a direct challenge to the ruling Golkar
party in the coming elections, a Golkar deputy chairman said on
Tuesday.

"The joint effort has provided a new momentum to block
Golkar's effort to obtain a reasonable percentage of votes to win
the upcoming elections," Marzuki Darusman told The Jakarta Post.

Marzuki had earlier voiced disappointment at Golkar's decision
to name a single presidential candidate, the incumbent B.J.
Habibie, saying the nomination would have a negative effect on
Golkar.

Leading opposition figures Amien Rais of the National Mandate
Party (PAN), Abdurrahman Wahid of the National Awakening Party
(PKB) and Megawati Soekarnoputri from the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) announced an agreement early
Tuesday to form a coalition to beat the "status quo force".

The parties had in the past expressed willingness to form an
alliance.

Marzuki said the move was by no means new but "would certainly
pose a direct challenge to Golkar". In fact, he said, the new
alliance "may hinder support for Golkar".

It may even cause Golkar supporters to have second thoughts
about the party's campaign for reform, he said.

Analysts have predicted dim prospects for the ruling party in
the June elections since the fall of its former chief patron
president Soeharto in May last year. They said Golkar's chance
became even slimmer when the party last week named President B.J.
Habibie as its sole presidential candidate.

Many people have been unhappy with Habibie's inability to
prevent rampant violence in the country and his so far fruitless
investigation into the alleged corruption of Soeharto, who was
his former mentor during 32 years in power.

Legal experts and proreformists have accused Habibie and
Attorney General Andi M. Ghalib of deliberate foot-dragging in
the investigation.

"The fact that Habibie has been nominated (as sole
presidential candidate) has made it easier for the opposition to
(portray) Golkar as the status-quo force," Marzuki said.

Marzuki said the party therefore "will have to be serious in
analyzing and devising a strategy to counter the adverse effect
of the coalition".

He said one strategy would be for the party to avoid
emphasizing the personality of the presidential candidate.

Campaign

Marzuki however said the alliance appeared to be a tentative
agreement and it might split up after the elections.

"This is a coalition for the campaign... I do not think that
it will automatically hold after the elections because they have
differing political objectives."

A senior political observer Soedjati Djiwandono however hoped
that the coalition would continue after the elections.

"As long as they are committed to political reform, I hope
that they will be able to settle their differences," Soedjati
told the Post.

He also said the coalition was "interesting".

"Rather than focusing their attention on the nomination of a
presidential candidate they are concentrating their efforts on
forming a coalition to win a majority in the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR)... because it is the Assembly that
will be decisive in carrying on the reform process."

The 130 million voters will elect 462 legislators to the House
of Representatives (DPR) and choose provincial legislatures.

The remaining 38 House seats are reserved for the military and
police.

The DPR, plus 200 appointees from community groups and the
provinces, will meet at the Assembly from August to choose a new
president. The presidential election is slated for November.

"There is a possibility the three parties would be able to
balance Golkar... what I hope is that other proreform parties
would also participate in this kind of coalition," Soedjati said.

Earlier in the day, chairman of the National Awakening Party
Matori Abdul Djalil said his party welcomed any proreform party
to join the coalition.

He said that so far the three parties had yet to decide
whether they were going to have joint campaigns. (byg/edt)