Party dissenters are willing to risk comfortable government posts in order to oppose the National Coalition.
AKBAR Tandjung rarely makes threats. Over the past two weeks, though, the Golkar Party General Chairman has worked to publicize his word that Golkar cadres who do not support the National Coalition will be "penalized." Akbar repeated this policy several times while campaigning in the provinces on behalf of the newly formed coalition and in support of the Megawati-Hasyim Muzadi ticket for the presidential election's second round.
Evidently, the threat has not frightened all Golkar administrators. Opposition was openly demonstrated last Thursday by the Golkar Party Youth Brigade (AMPG) at the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, where members took a stand against the National Coalition. Attending the gathering and joining in voicing opposition were Golkar advisor Muladi and Golkar Central Leadership Board (DPP) member Priyo Budi Santoso.
For Muladi, Golkar's submission to the National Coalition, together with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), is quite painful. He feels that Golkar did not pull out all the stops in the first round of the presidential election and that, as a result, Wiranto, the presidential candidate the party nominated, failed to gain 30 percent of the vote. Now Golkar is taking the party full steam ahead in supporting a candidate from another party, which is "strange," Muladi said.
According to other Golkar administrators, the DPP issued a decree just before the first round of the presidential election that allowed its cadres to be involved in election campaign teams for other candidates. These party members were asked only to take inactive status, or a "sabbatical," officials said. But those working for the other side are now threatened with sanctions, dismissal from the party, and even being recalled from office.
Despite the decree, a number of Golkar officials have not hesitated to attach themselves to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla before the election's final round. One main group is led by two Golkar chairmen, Fahmi Idris and Marzuki Darusman. Together with 20 delegates of Golkar Regional Leadership Boards (DPD), they met with the Yudhoyono-Kalla team at the Hilton Hotel in Jakarta a week before a Golkar leadership meeting.
The party dissenters also attended the Bhineka Tunggal Ika Youth Caucus, which was held by Yudhoyono at the Sahid Hotel in Jakarta four days later. As it turned out, the decision taken in the Golkar leadership meeting was quite stern: the seniors ordered all their cadres to return to Golkar. Fahmi and Marzuki subsequently put the brakes on their opposition, but Priyo Budi Santoso, Muladi, and Idrus Marham—all Golkar members in the DPR—continued with the effort.
It wasn't long, though, before these three Golkar "deserters" were sent written warnings from the Golkar DPP. But Fahmi and Marzuki weren't entirely off the hook. According to a source inside the party, their names have now disappeared from short lists drawn up to fill important government posts if the coalition succeeds. Marzuki Darusman, whose name had appeared on the list of prospective cabinet members, was no longer being considered for any positions. Fahmi Idris, who was being prepared as the Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR), was also eliminated from the list.
Golkar Secretary-General Budi Harsono verified that warning letters were sent to a number of Golkar cadres and administrators. The stern admonition was given, he said, because they held meetings and gatherings that had the potential to shape public opinion and damage Golkar's image. Budi specified that only activities after the Golkar DPP leadership meeting were considered to be out of line. For that reason, Fahmi and Marzuki simply received a verbal warning from Akbar Tandjung. When asked about the matter of the "deserter" names being dropped from lists for important positions, Budi said instead that Golkar "hadn't collected any names yet."
Muladi's office said last Saturday that he had not received a letter of warning. But at the AMPG event, Muladi acknowledged that he did not care if he was penalized. Fahmi said he would abide by the decision of the leadership meeting and try not to violate it. "Even though it is not possible for me to eliminate my thoughts on concepts of change," he said.
Fahmi seemed to indicate his renewed commitment to Golkar by canceling his plan to attend the meeting with the AMPG at the Marriott Hotel. He said, a day before the controversial meeting, a Golkar leader asked if he would attend. Fahmi answered that he could not attend because there he had an invitation from the Betawi Youth in the Husni Thamrin Building in Jakarta. "Yeah, no need to go there. You might say something that you would regret later," the official said. "There you go," Fahmi told TEMPO, recalling the exchange. "Quite a coincidence, eh?"
Opposition to the Golkar leadership meeting also flowered in a number of regions. The Golkar DPD in the Purwakarta Regency, West Java, for instance, decided to take a neutral stance. "We leave it to the constituency to vote according to their conscience," said Bisri Harjoko, Golkar DPD Chairman for the Purwakarta Regency, last Monday.
Resistance is also taking hold in the body of the United Development Party (PPP), one of the members of the National Coalition. The group is driven by the Indonesian Muslim Brotherhood (Parmusi), one of the organizations that initially formed the PPP. Ismail Hasan Metareum, a Parmusi figure and former PPP General Chairman, met with Yudhoyono and announced his support for him last Monday.
This decision was supported by Bachtiar Chamsyah, the current Parmusi General Chair and Indonesian Minister of Social Affairs. Bachtiar questioned the comment of Ali Marwan Hanan, the PPP Assistant General Chair who is also a Parmusi cadre. Ali threatened that he would dismiss PPP members who opposed the National Coalition. Bachtiar doubts that the threat will prove effective.
As proof, in the legislative election, PPP obtained more than 9 million votes, while in the first round of the presidential election, PPP General Chairman Hamzah Haz only received 3 million votes. "How is he going to fire those 6 million?" Bachtiar said.
Signs of dissent first came to light when Parmusi Secretary-General Usamah Hisyam joined the Yudhoyono-Kalla campaign team. Usamah's efforts to engender support from PPP cadres in the provinces have proven to be successful. Rejection of the National Coalition has surfaced in various regions, similar to what happened in Jakarta last Friday, when 300 PPP cadres marched on the DPP office, asking the party to withdraw from the National Coalition.
These cadres feel that the coalition is headed towards changing the PPP into a secular party. This is because the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS), also a member of the coalition, is known as a Christian party. "PPP must have a pure Islamic foundation," said Azwar Abbas, coordinator for the protest and Vice Chairman of the PPP Advisory Council for Jakarta.
Opposition has also taken place in Solo, Central Java. Led by PPP Solo figure Mudrick M. Sangidu, all branch administrators have agreed to reject the decision of the party to join the National Coalition. "How to get them to support a candidate from another party when they didn't even vote for their own party's candidate?" said Mudrick, who was known for pushing for "Islamization" rather than "Golkar-ization" during the New Order period.
Political observer Saiful Mujani feels that the dissenters should carry out their resistance efforts in their party's leadership meeting. If they do not succeed, like it or not, they must accept the party's decision. "Despite being in the minority, the supporters of these dissenters will certainly have an impact," said Saiful, a researcher from the Indonesian Survey Institute.
Saiful says that for some time there have been factional divisions in the PPP body. Bachtiar Chamsyah, for example, elected to compete with Hamzah Haz because he has long had his eye on the position of PPP General Chairman. "This opposition is being based on the inclusion of the Prosperous Peace Party in the coalition to support Megawati," he said.
Agung Rulianto, Hanibal, Badriah, Agustinus Rahardjo (Surabaya), Imron Rosyid (Solo), Bambang Soed (Medan)
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