"Golkar Party Symbol"As the ruling party for more than three decades, the Golkar Party has found it challenging to switch to its role as the opposition, party executives said. “Golkar lacks the ambition to be an opposition. The party’s character is to manage the country and the nation,” Golkar senior executive Fachmi Idris said Thursday. “So it’s a little awkward [to be an opposing party].” He said Golkar had never been naturally inclined to be the opposition because it had spent a long time coalescing with the incumbent. He pointed out that when Golkar lost the 1999 election to the Indonesian Domestic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), then party chairman Akbar Tandjung suggested the party became an opposition but it flopped. Prior to the July 8 presidential election, Golkar had decided to build a coalition with the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI-P), the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura) and the Great Indonesian Movement (Gerindra). However, the coalition is very likely to collapse. “I think no coalition is good,” Fachmi said, arguing that Indonesia has not seen any firm party coalition. “In many ways, [a coalition of]parties have always had different opinions in making decisions.” achmi’s remark was a hint that Golkar would opt to drop its original plan to become an opposition. Golkar finished second in the April 9 legislative elections after Democratic Party while in Wednesday's presidential election, its candidate and chairman Jusuf Kalla bowed out to incumbent Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who likely leads in a landslide victory. Golkar lawmaker Hari Azhar Azis said the decision to be an opposition would depend on the party’s decision instead of an individual's. “The party’s national congress will determine our stance, should the congress decide to cancel the signed coalition, then all party’s members must obey.” Indonesian Institute of Sciences political analyst Lili Romli said it was Golkar’s nature to always want to be near to power. “For years, Golkar has been deluged with power. It might suffer if power was taken away from it.” Lili urged Golkar to show consistency as it had made the decision to separate from the incumbent. “Golkar’s elites must support the decision. They must be consistent and not be opportunistic.” Hari acknowledged there were differences within Golkar, but said it was not unusual for a political party. “There are two groups within Golkar. One wishes to continue the coalition with the PDI-P, another wants to stay with the Democratic Party,” he told The Jakarta Post. He added the settlement on differences must be in line with the party’s internal mechanisms. The internal rift in the party and the most likely defeat of Kalla in the presidential election have raised concerns for an extraordinary congress to evaluate the party’s performance. Hari said the congress would take place if two-thirds of the party’s regional branches agreed to do so. Lili acknowledged it would be hard for Golkar to change its stance. “But it’s necessary for Golkar to have a new tradition. “It has to learn to be an opposition so it can improve.”
Author: The Jakarta Post
