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Golkar splinter faction moves to consolidate position
Golkar Party rescuing presidium chairman Agung Laksono has said that the splinter group plans to meet every day at the partyâs central executive board (DPP) headquarters to discuss steps that need to be taken to save the party
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olkar Party rescuing presidium chairman Agung Laksono has said that the splinter group plans to meet every day at the party's central executive board (DPP) headquarters to discuss steps that need to be taken to save the party.
'We plan to hold a meeting at the DPP every day,' he said on Wednesday.
Agung said the presidium wanted to make sure that the organizing of the national congress ran in line with party rules.
He said the congress needed clear guidance, according to either the party's statutes or recommendations from the previous national meeting held in Riau.
'Golkar statutes stipulate that the party chairman's term of office lasts for only five years. This means that given that the previous congress was held on Oct.4, 2009, the next one should have been on Oct.4, 2014. However, it was recommended that the next meeting be held in January 2015,' he said
However, Agung continued, party chairman Aburizal Bakrie and his loyalists had suddenly insisted that the congress be held on Nov.30. Technically, holding the meeting then would produce only unqualified results.
Agung asserted that the meeting must be held in 2015 so that there would be enough time for both regional executive boards and party chairman candidates to prepare.
'I think it's better for us to have a healthy competition. It is possible to appoint a chairman through a head-to-head competition but he or she must be elected instead of being appointed by acclamation,' he said.
The spokesperson for Golkar Youth Axis for eastern Indonesia, Victor Abraham, praised the formation of the presidium led by Agung.
'The establishment of the Golkar Party rescuing presidium led by Pak Agung, which comprises party chairman candidates, is a strategic move that should be appreciated by all Golkar cadres,' he said.
Victor said establishing a presidium was the right step to ensure the sustainability of the party.
'Golkar's day-to-day activities are determined by senior leaders for now, but the future of the party is determined by our young cadres,' he said, adding that the current chaos was a result of Aburizal's ambition to maintain his leadership of the party. (ebf)(+++)
