Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – The Golkar Party has started playing its political cards by criticizing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's government over sensitive issues, which experts say are designed to reinforce its image and public support.
Political experts said that Golkar's criticisms including on the much-debated Bank Century scandal were aimed at attracting public support for Golkar thanks to its half-hearted coalition with Yudhoyono's Democratic Party.
"It is the (inherent) risk in a half-hearted coalition," Syamsudin Haris, political observer from the Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI) told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
"Golkar still practices an ambivalent political culture; to support the government but on the other hand taking advantage by criticizing policies but backing the public interest."
He said that Golkar was currently in dire need of improving its image to mobilize public support ahead of the 2014 general elections.
"Golkar will criticize the government's policies to pull away public support; otherwise, the party will be smaller in the next election," he said.
Syamsudin also predicted that Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie had a hidden agenda to run for the 2014 presidential election. "It makes sense if Aburizal has an agenda to run for the presidency. He needs first to make the party bigger to fulfill his dream," he said.
Aburizal in its speech on Golkar's 54th anniversary Saturday said the party would continue to criticize the government for the sake of public. "As best friend forever, we will lend our support to the government but we will still criticize the government, although it is hard," he said.
Yudhoyono did not attend the anniversary. Vice President Boediono, former president BJ Habibie, the People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Taufik Kiemas and other party leaders including Wiranto from the People's Conscience party (Hanura), and Prabowo Subianto from the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) were among top figures seen at the anniversary.
Yudhoyono appointed four Golkar members as ministers, namely Agung Laksono as Coordinating Minister for Public Welfare, Fadel Muhammad as Minister for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, MS Hidayat as Industry Minister and Mustafa Abubakar as State Minister for State Enterprises.
The Golkar faction at the House of Representatives earlier supported establishing a special committee of enquiry to investigate the Bank Century's Rp 6.67 trillion bailout.
Aburizal also urged the government to soon resolve the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) problems over allegations the government was trying to weaken the commission.
Golkar also criticized the arrest of two suspended KPK deputy chiefs, Chandra M Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto, who have attracted widespread support from the public.
Meanwhile, political expert from the University of Indonesia, Maswadi Rauf, said the current coalition would not guarantee full supports for Yudhoyono's administration.
"Each party, including Golkar, would take advantage of the government for its own benefits including by criticizing government policies," he said.
He said Yudhoyono needed to upgrade his communications with the parties in coalition before issuing policies to minimize criticisms.
"Otherwise, parties in the coalition would make controversial remarks as entry points to pull away public support for their own advantage," he said.