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Agung's camp occupies Golkar HQ, sacks Aburizal's men
Occupying office: The chairman of one Golkar Party faction, Agung Laksono, leaves the partyâs headquarters in Slipi, Jakarta, on Tuesday, after holding a meeting with his central executive board
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span class="inline inline-center">Occupying office: The chairman of one Golkar Party faction, Agung Laksono, leaves the party's headquarters in Slipi, Jakarta, on Tuesday, after holding a meeting with his central executive board. The faction was a step ahead of its rival group, led by Aburizal Bakrie, which was forced to hold meetings outside the office since it was occupied by Agung's camp. The two factions are now racing to win legitimacy from the government. JP/Dhoni Setiawan
Even though his Golkar Party chairmanship was yet to be legalized, Agung Laksono and his men occupied the party's headquarters in a show of force before the camp of Aburizal Bakrie who also claimed himself as the party's legitimate leader.
Golkar national executive office in West Jakarta was heavily guarded by members of the Golkar Party Youth Generation (AMPG) on Tuesday.
Yorrys Raweyai, Golkar deputy chairman in Agung's line up, was AMPG chairman until he was fired by then Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie a few months ago.
Agung and Yorrys, as well as several others with Agung including secretary-general Zainuddin Amali, were seen in the headquarters on Tuesday. None of Aburizal's camp came to the building that day.
'We never banned [Aburizal's camp] from coming here. It is they who seem to reluctant to come,' Agung told the press at the headquarters.
Several pictures of Aburizal hung in the building's walls were taken down. But some of them were put back by Yorrys a few hours later. 'This is to respect Aburizal as former chairman,' he said.
In a move to show off his power, Agung also announced that he had reshuffled leaders of Golkar factions at the House of Representatives and People's Consultative Assembly, firing all of the previous leaders known as Aburizal's men.
Agung said he had appointed lawmakers Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita and Melchias Markus Mekeng as chairman and secretary of Golkar faction at the House. The two respectively replaced Ade Komarudin and Bambang Soesatyo.
Hardi Susilo, the head of Golkar faction at the assembly, was also replaced by outspoken legislator Agun Gunandjar Sudarsa.
'The new faction leaders will be effective soon. We do not recognize the current ones,' Agung said.
The former coordinating people's welfare minister added that his camp had also wanted to replace Golkar members serving as House and Assembly speakers.
House speaker Setya Novanto and Assembly deputy speaker Mahyuddin are known as part of Aburizal's camp.
'In accordance to House and Assembly's regulations as well as the 2014 Legislative Body Law, we do not have the power to immediately replace them,' Agung said.
Agung was named Golkar chairman in a breakaway congress in Jakarta early on Monday. The congress was organized by the party's splinter faction, also led by Agung, which did not recognize the congress held by rival Aburizal in Bali, a week earlier.
Agung won the votes over chairman candidates Agus and Priyo Budi Santoso. Both losing candidates are now serving as Golkar deputy chairmen in Agung's lineup.
Both Agung's and Aburizal's camps have registered the party's new executive board members resulting from each camp's congress with the Law and Human Rights Ministry.
But the government has refused to immediately legalize Agung as Golkar's new chairman despite the latter's pledge to take the party out of the opposition Red-and-White Coalition and jump into the coalition of President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo.
Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly, a politician with Jokowi's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said he had formed a team to analyze documents submitted by both factions.
If the Agung-led Golkar was legalized, the opposition Red-and-White Coalition would be effectively weakened as Golkar is the second-biggest party in the House of Representatives after the PDI-P.
Agung's camp has also proposed appointing Vice President and former Golkar chairman Jusuf Kalla as the chairman of the party's advisory council. But the latter refused the offer citing his commitment not to be actively engaged in political party activities anymore.
Agung was then looking to Golkar's other senior members to serve as the chief advisor, such as Ginandjar Kartasasmita, Siswono Yudho Husodo and Sarwono Kusumaatmadja.
'Siswono is the most likely candidate. We just contacted him and he expressed readiness,' Agung said.
