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Golkar to purge members of opposition camp
A major change is expected to transpire at the House of Representatives as the Golkar Party, the second-largest faction in the legislative body, is expected to replace at least 50 percent of its faction members with politicians deemed supportive of President Joko âJokowiâ Widodoâs administration
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major change is expected to transpire at the House of Representatives as the Golkar Party, the second-largest faction in the legislative body, is expected to replace at least 50 percent of its faction members with politicians deemed supportive of President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's administration.
The plan was designed shortly after Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly's decision to officially recognize the leadership of the pro-government Agung Laksono, which has drawn fierce opposition from Aburizal Bakrie's camp and others in the opposition Red-and-White Coalition.
'In our current plan, only 50 percent of faction members and other leading positions would remain,' Golkar deputy chairman Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, a member of Agung's camp, said on Friday. Golkar currently has 91 of its politicians serving as lawmakers.
Agus said that Agung's leadership had decided who would stay and who would go based on the faction members' competence.
'We will keep the brightest minds in the current House composition,' Agus said.
Agus also denied speculation that Agung's camp was trying to remove all of Aburizal's supporters from the House.
Agung also said that he preferred the term 'reshuffle', rather than 'termination'.
'I think a minor reshuffle is normal, but we don't fire people. We have to respect our members,' he said.
It is almost certain, however, that some politicians will be expelled from the House. The Golkar politicians include current faction leader Ade Komarudin and party treasurer of the Aburizal camp Bambang Soesatyo, who is also known as a staunch supporter of Aburizal.
On Friday, Ade and Bambang spoke in a press conference with the presence of other faction leaders from political parties in the coalition.
Members of the camp expressed their plan to summons Yasonna over his decision to recognize the leadership of Agung as well as the leadership of Muhammad Romahurmuziy of the United Development
Party (PPP).
'We believe Yasonna's actions were against the law,' Ade said at the House compound in Senayan,
Central Jakarta.
Ade also said that the President could support their action against Yasonna.
'Our move serves as a warning to the minister, who disrespects the law. This warning will be approved by the President,' said Ade.
Bambang, meanwhile, said he believed Yasonna made the decisions without Jokowi's approval.
'According to the information that we received, the President was not aware of Yasonna's actions,' he said. 'I smelled something fishy from his decisions.'
Agung countered that both Ade and Bambang no longer represented Golkar.
'Based on our plan, both of them are no longer faction leaders. So their statements are purely personal and we have voiced our stance that we reject the coalition's plan to summons Yasonna,' he said.
Agung said that Ade appeared to have not been aware of his decision to dismiss him.
He also said that both Ade and Bambang would also be punished for their decision to take action against Yasonna.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Agung's camp, Leo Nababan, said that in the event that Ade and Bambang remained in the House, House speaker Setya Novanto, who is a known loyalist of Aburizal, would likely be sacrificed.
'We will see whether Pak Novanto carries out his duty [to remove Ade and Bambang],' he said on Friday. 'If he does that, then he is safe. If not, then we will replace him. It's easy.'
