Golkar ‘won’t leave’ ruling coalition

SURABAYA: Golkar Party secretary-general Idrus Marham said Friday his party would not leave the ruling coalition following a series a graft scandals that have tarnished the image of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s ruling Democratic Party.

“Golkar, as chair of the coalition’s joint secretariat, will not abandon our friends in trouble,” he was quoted as saying by news portal tempointeraktif.com during a seminar at Airlangga University in Surabaya, East Java.

Idrus said that Golkar has never discussed leaving the secretariat, especially after the party agreed to sign a contract aimed at strengthening the coalition and affirming member parties’ commitment to supporting the Yudhoyono administration.

He added that at a time when one of the coalition partners was in trouble, the other parties should work together to help solve the problem.

Idrus said the Indonesian people were smart enough to realize that the issues dogging the Democratic Party had nothing to do with the joint secretariat. — JP