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Golkar split, a proxy fight for leadership
Jakarta Globe - November 27, 2014
Under Aburizal Bakrie as its chairman, Golkar strongly posits itself as the backbone of the Red-White Coalition, which previously supported Prabowo Subianto for president. But Golkar's younger cadres and several senior members, represented by former people's welfare minister Agung Laksono, want to end Aburizal's reign, and join Joko's coalition in the hope of receiving a cabinet seat.
The party is on the brink of another split ahead of the party's planned national congress next week, with critics of its current chairman threatening to stage their own convention. The congress is scheduled to be held in Bali from Sunday to next Wednesday.
The party is set to pick a chairman, but an internal leadership dispute – revolving mainly around the incumbent chairman Aburizal's wish to run for a second term – has already led to violent clashes. The dispute reached its peak on Tuesday as party leaders discussed preparations for the Bali convention.
Fist fights broke out between Aburizal supporters and his opponents. The incident came on the same day as Aburizal's deputy Agung Laksono staged a vote of no confidence against Aburizal's reign, airing suspicions on why the party chairman decided to move the congress two months ahead of schedule.
Golkar politicians critical towards Aburizal said on Wednesday that he had unilaterally changed the rules for next week's convention, voiding all supports garnered by seven other chairman hopefuls. Aburizal, his critics suspect, is trying to secure a re-election through consensus instead of an open vote, which he might lose, by issuing instructions to provincial and district level chapter leaders to support him as well as airing threats of dismissal to those not loyal to him.
"This is authoritarian and is undemocratic," Golkar politician Leo Nababan said of Aburizal's decision to change the rules. "This is one of [Aburizal's] tricks. He is violating [Golkar's] regulations. We don't want him to continue to bring the party down," Leo said.
Agung, who claimed to have support from 297 congress participants for his chairmanship bid, denounced next week's congress and formed a shadow leadership under the name "Golkar Savior Team." Agung announced that his camp will stage their own shadow convention on Jan. 15.
'Let's all save the party'
The split has local chapter leaders worrying that Golkar is heading for another schism.
"We hope our seniors at the central board will sit together and reach a compromise," said Wisnu Pudjonggo, of Golkar's Semarang, Central Java chapter. "Let's all save the party from another split. Must there be a new party emerging after this year's convention? Let's hope not."
Several former Golkar politicians have decided to form their own parties: the Democratic Party in 2001, the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) in 2006, the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) in 2008, and the National Democrat Party (Nasdem) in 2011.
Political observer Theofransus Litaay, of Satya Wacana University said Golkar is under serious threat of a split particularly with so many inside the party disliking how Aburizal seems to bow too much to former presidential candidate Prabowo, the chairman of Gerindra.
"[Aburizal] is at the edge of the cliff. Golkar is the second place winner in this election but afraid of the leader of a relatively new party," he said.
Senior Golkar politician Fadel Muhammad said those running against Aburizal must still attend the Bali congress, showing their commitment to keep the party united. "People will perceive you as losing before even fighting if you don't come," the former maritime minister said.
Outside intervention?
A statement from Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno, coordinating minister for security, which called for police not to give a permit for the Bali congress has outraged Golkar politicians. Tedjo, who is a member of Nasdem, one of parties that supports Joko, is accused of messing with the party's internal affairs.
Fadel said Tedjo's statement was part of Nasdem's attempt to break up Golkar and push it to join the ruling coalition. Hanta Yuda, executive director of the Poll Tracking Institute, said Golkar would likely join Joko's coalition if someone other than Aburizal leads the party.
But Siti Zuhro of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) pointed out that Aburizal's rivals are also power hungry.
Agung is one of the figures who criticized Aburizal's decision to support Prabowo, even after he lost the election. "[Agung] is making it appear that not being inside the government is a bad thing," she said.
End game?
Akbar Tandjung, chairman of Golkar's advisory board, said on Wednesday that he had summoned all advisers for a meeting after Tuesday's fracas and decided to support Aburizal's every decision about the congress.
"I have also told Aburizal Bakrie to be open to our friends [those who disagree with Aburizal]," Akbar said, adding that Aburizal's rivals only want what is best for the party and to keep the party united.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla, a former Golkar chairman, said on Tuesday that he would summon the party's senior members if they were unable to settle their internal dispute.
The conflict escalated after a national leaders meeting decided on Nov. 19 that the party would hold its national congress.
The congress was initially scheduled for January 2015 and some critics say the change is part of a plan by incumbent chairman Aburizal Bakrie to sabotage the election so that he can secure a second term.
"I believe they can settle the problem. If they can't, I will talk to the seniors," Kalla said on Tuesday in his office. "I hope the party won't be divided. I believe my friends are mature."
Kalla said he had met with Bakrie to address some problems reported to him by party members. He said that many were disappointed with Aburizal's leadership style, which they characterized as undemocratic.
"Many have mentioned Pak Ical's [Aburizal's] failures and I've told him that directly. I told him not to take any undemocratic steps – don't put pressure on others. He said that no such thing has ever happened," Kalla said.
Akbar said he appreciated Kalla's offer. "But we will settle [the dispute] through the organizations' internal mechanism," he said.
[Additional reporting by Hotman Siregar & Novianti Setuningsih.]
Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/golkar-split-proxy-fight-leadership/.
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