Suhardiman loses his job in SOKSI after 38 years

JAKARTA (JP): SOKSI, one of the organizations that formed the ruling Golkar group in 1964, overthrew Suhardiman who had led it for 38 years at a congress late last week.

Participants in the SOKSI congress in Bogor elected Oetojo Oesman on Saturday to replace Suhardiman, whose frequent forecasts earned him the nickname "political shaman" in the local media.

Oetojo, a former minister of justice under president Soeharto, will lead the organization until 2003.

SOKSI, the United Independent Labor Organization, was founded by the Army during Sukarno's presidency to counter the growing influence of labor organizations affiliated to the now defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

It was one of the three organizations the Army established to counter the economic clout of the powerful PKI. These organizations then joined with others to form Golkar in 1964.

The congress, which lasted from July 2 to July 4, also elected Thomas Suyatno as deputy chairman and Freddy Latumahina as secretary general, Antara reported yesterday.

Suhardiman, who is recognized as one of the founding fathers of SOKSI, was transferred to the organization's advisory council.

The congress also prepared a 12 point political statement in which it condemned the mid-May riots and the abduction of political activists, and demanded an impartial investigation into these and other violations of human rights.

It described the four Trisakti University student demonstrators killed on May 12 in Jakarta as "heroes of reform", called for an extraordinary session of the People's Consultative Assembly, urged that a general election be held soon and demanded that corrupt officials transfer money held in overseas bank accounts back into the country's to help save the crumbling economy.

SOKSI also called on the Armed Forces to help restore Golkar's image and create clean governance.

Meanwhile, another Golkar founder Kosgoro on Saturday fielded four of its best cadres to lead replace Harmoko as Golkar chief, namely Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, Siswono Yudohusodo, Muladi and Bambang W. Soeharto. (pan)