Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – In a bitter power struggle, young Golkar hardliners are fighting a move by the more senior members to expel detained party chief Akbar Tandjung.

The Parliamentary Speaker, who was arrested last week, is seen as a liability by the senior leaders who are eager to cut off association with him to distance the party from the case against him.

The Attorney-General's Office is investigating him for the misuse of 40 billion rupiah (S$7.6 million) from the State Logistics Agency (Bulog). Those keen on deposing him are likely to be challenged by some more outspoken younger members.

In this group are those who last year led the move to impeach former president Abdurrahman Wahid. They have seen their careers flourish under Mr Akbar's leadership. Many of them have historical ties to him as former activists of the Association of Islamic Students, which Mr Akbar once headed.

Said political analyst Affan Gaffar: "The young Golkar members are fully dependent on Akbar. If he is removed, then it may pose a challenge to their political careers."

In Golkar, as in most Indonesian parties, the party chairman has the privilege of picking candidates for Parliament and government posts. Said one of the younger politicians, Mr Rully Chairul Azwar: "Yes, there has been a quiet move to topple Mr Akbar since his arrest." He claimed the move had little backing from regional party chapters.

The rules require the support of two-thirds of Golkar's regional party chapters to hold a Special Party Congress to elect a new chairman. Mr Akbar, who still wields control over Golkar, may be safe for now, but the longer he is detained, the more likely his chance of being replaced.

One of his opponents, Mr A.A. Baramuli, said in a television interview: "I think Mr Akbar's problem will become even greater because the legal process involved is serious. can have a fatal consequence on Golkar and we need to reorganise the party."

Mr Baramuli is an influential member of Golkar's Eastern Indonesian caucus, known by its acronym Iramasuka. It comprises Golkar members from Irian, Maluku, Sulawesi and Kalimantan - all of which make up about 70 per cent of its voters. They view Mr Akbar as a traitor after he withdrew support for incumbent president B.J. Habibie in the 1999 presidential election.

Mr Akbar also faces resistance from army generals and former bureaucrats influential in the Suharto era. They have been sidelined under his leadership despite their support for him in the 1998 election of party chairman.

In January, Mr Baramuli and four other veteran Golkar members calling themselves "Team to Rescue Golkar" urged Mr Akbar to resign after he was named suspect in the case.

Mr Akbar's survival will also depend on the support he can muster from other members within Golkar who are eyeing the coveted party leadership post. Well-placed sources said experienced politicians such as Mr Agung Laksono and Mr Marzuki Darusman were "waiting for the right momentum to decide which side they would take".