Rizal Harahap and Hyginus Hardoyo, Pekanbaru, Jakarta – Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie's move to include political turncoat Rizal Mallarangeng and Titiek Soeharto in the party's executive board has sparked a strong protest from active cadres and functionaries.
Zaenal Bintang, a senior party figure, called Aburizal's move to pick Rizal to lead the think tank and research department a humiliating move.
"His (Rizal's) presence in the party leadership structure has spoiled (Golkar). He moves from one party to another," Zainal said in Jakarta on Friday. "He was also once involved with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), he is nothing but an opportunist."
Zaenal also said Rizal's appointment had degraded and insulted party loyalists who had spent years shedding their blood, sweat and tears for the party. "I urge Golkar members to stand together to protest the decision and demand Rizal step down from his post," he said.
Besides Rizal, Titiek Prabowo, second daughter of late former president Soeharto, was appointed as deputy to the secretary-general and Idrus Markham as secretary-general. Agung Laksono and Theo L. Sambuaga retained their positions as deputy chairman.
Rumors were spreading that Aburizal picked Idrus after an intervention from the Presidential Palace who disliked Maj. Gen. (ret.) Luhut Panjaitan who was tipped for the post.
Other Golkar members said they did not have any problem with Aburizal's decision, but they did have some questions over Rizal's competence and capabilities.
"I believe Pak Aburizal has a strong reason behind his decision to name Rizal. Both of them also go way back. However, I must say that in all my years with Golkar, I have never known what Rizal has done for Golkar," Golkar senior politician Fahmi Idris said.
Golkar faction chairman at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Hajriyanto Tohari, said that he personally thought that the party should have appointed someone with a stronger economic background.
"If we have to name someone outside of the party to lead an internal department, I think we should have chosen someone with more specific skills, like an economist... because Golkar needs more people who can develop solid economic ideas for the nation's future," he said.
A member of Yuddy's success team, Indra Piliang, said that he was not "hurt" by Rizal's appointment, because as part of the losing team, he had to accept whatever was coming to him. "We have to admit that Rizal is the biggest success story in the nation's political scene this year," he said.
Aburizal, popularly known as Ical defended his decision and said on Friday that Rizal was the only one in his field "and I know him well."
Rizal was a former member of the SBY campaign team and worked closer with his Democratic Party during the recent general election and helped the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) when he was a member of the Freedom Institute. Titiek had been inactive in Golkar following her father's downfall in May, 1998.
Political analysts say it would raise a serious question on the future of democracy if both Golkar and PDI-P joined the ruling coalition which it was feared by some could pave the way for the re-birth of an authoritarian regime.
If these two parties join the ruling coalition, then the government will be supported by a strong coalition controlling 92.5 percent of the seats in the House of Representatives. (hdt)