Opposition anger falls on Aburizal’s deaf ears

JAKARTA. The Golkar Party moved ahead with a central executive board plenary meeting on Monday, arousing the ire of a growing segment within the party that rejects the effort to expedite the chairmanship election, which they see as an illegitimate means of helping secure a second term for current chairman Aburizal Bakrie.

The closed-door meeting, which was held at the party’s headquarters in Slipi, West Jakarta, turned ugly after dozens of party members poured into the meeting room in protest against the plan to hold a party national congress on Nov. 30.

The angry Golkar cadres, believed to be members of the Golkar Party Youth Generation (AMPG) disregarded warnings by security officers, who tried to calm them down.

Aburizal left the meeting room prior to the arrival of the angry cadres, adjourning the meeting several minutes before the protesters entered.

Aburizal, accompanied by, among others, deputy chairman Fadel Muhammad, secretary-general Idrus Marham and party executives Sharif Cicip Sutardjo and Nurdin Halid, returned to the plenary meeting room about two hours later, only to make a short announcement that the meeting would be adjourned until Tuesday.

“Where are Aburizal and his men Fadel, Idrus and Nurdin, going? How dare they claim that Golkar belongs just to them?” AMPG chairman Yorrys Raweyai said.

“We will disband the upcoming congress if they insist on holding it on Nov. 30,” he added.

Golkar, the second-biggest winner in last April’s legislative election, has seen infighting escalate in past weeks. The discord centers on moves by Aburizal’s camp to secure support for the incumbent chairman, which opponents consider “undemocratic” and “illegal” .

Golkar’s upcoming chairman election is considered crucial, as it could alter the country’s political landscape. Analysts predict that Golkar, one of the country’s oldest parties, may jump ship to the camp of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla if Aburizal is no longer in power.

If reelected, however, Aburizal is believed to favor keeping the party in the opposition and retaining its controlling power within the Red-and-White Coalition that dominates the House of Representatives.

Previously, Fadel said that the congress would be held in Nusa Dua, Bali, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3.

“It was decided by the national leadership meeting [Rapimnas] last week. It was due to proposals conveyed by almost all the provincial executives attending the meeting,” the former minister said.

Aburizal’s critics have accused his camp of threatening and intimidating local and regional chapters into supporting his bid for a second term.

They launched massive counter campaigns against the alleged strong-arm tactics, forcing Aburizal’s camp to expedite the congress to prevent local and regional chapters from reconsidering.

“Aburizal should listen to the mounting concern if he does not want to see this party more divided,” senior party member Agung Laksono, said.

As of Monday, seven Golkar politicians — Agung Laksono, lawmakers Airlangga Hartarto, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita and Zainudin Amali, party executive Hajriyanto Thohari, former industry minister MS Hidayat and former lawmaker Priyo Budi Santoso — have declared that they will challenge Aburizal in the upcoming national congress.

Political analyst Heri Budianto said the next Golkar congress could result in splinter groups and the formation of new political parties.

“Previous Golkar congresses have involved heated protests. As a result, [sometimes] the disappointed camps left Golkar and formed new parties,” he said. (Bagus BT Saragih)