Three refuse to join Golkar executive board

Three refuse to join Golkar executive board

JAKARTA (JP): Less than 48 hours after the lineup of the new
Golkar executive board was announced, three people have already
refused to join.

Newly-elected Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung said Indra
Bambang Utojo, Didit Hariyadi and Salim Said had decided not to
accept their respective appointments because they believed they
could not commit themselves fully to Golkar.

Akbar, who is also Minister/State Secretary, regretted their
decisions but maintained that they would not affect his
leadership which, he believed, was already backed up by a solid
team to carry out Golkar's programs.

"I didn't expect them to decline the posts, I wanted to
mobilize all Golkar forces," Akbar told journalists after meeting
with President B.J. Habibie in the Bina Graha presidential
office.

Golkar's three day extraordinary congress elected Akbar
chairman of the grouping on Saturday. Akbar defeated former
minister of defense and security affairs Gen. (ret.) Edi
Sudradjat in the election.

In an apparent bid to consolidate support and accommodate his
rivals Akbar then expanded the executive board from 45 members to
138.

"I was really looking forward to everybody's support because I
believe that after the congress there should no longer be any
differences between us," Akbar remarked.

Dislike

Indra was offered the position of deputy secretary-general,
one of 13 such posts on the new board. Didit was named as one of
the six people charged with guiding the party to victory in next
year's general election. Both men were known for their close
relations with the family of former president Soeharto.

"From what I can understand from the statements issued by
Indra and Didit there was no indication that they disapproved of
my leadership. I have the impression that they just felt
uncomfortable with the executive board," Akbar noted.

Akbar acknowledged that he announced the lineup of Golkar's
executive board on Sunday before he had undertaken sufficient
consultation with all 137 people he had chosen.

"My time was very limited. I only had 3.5 hours and so I did
not have enough time to contact all of them," Akbar explained.

Salim Said, a well known military analyst, refused the post of
coordinator of Golkar's research and development department.

"I feel that I'm not a politician. I'm a political observer,
I'm a political scholar and a political commentator. I want to
remain independent," Salim told journalists yesterday.

Speaking to reporters after attending a ceremony to install
the new Jakarta Military Commander here yesterday, Salim said his
refusal had nothing to do with the new leadership.

"Although I support Golkar's aspirations, namely to be a
modern party and an all-Indonesian party, I do not want to be
included in the executive board's lineup," Salim remarked.

The number of people refusing posts on the board could
increase further.

Deputy chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights
Marzuki Darusman, who was named as a deputy secretary general in
the new lineup, said he needed a few more days before deciding
whether or not to accept the appointment.

"I still have to decide if my inclusion was for the right
reasons," he told The Jakarta Post last night. He said he hoped
he had been offered the post because of the Golkar leadership's
desire to institute change and reform. (prb/ivy/byg)