Golkar Party Plans to Focus On Developing The Country

Fuente: 
The Jakarta Globe
Fecha de publicación: 
21 Oct 2013

The Golkar Party pledged that it would avoid transactional politics merely for the sake of power and avoid unhealthy competition within the party.

“We want to change the political tradition, which has always been filled with intrigue and defamation, into a qualitative competition that is based on ideas, innovation and political instruments,” Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie said on Sunday during the party’s 49th anniversary in Jakarta.

Aburizal said that for the 2014 election the party would not be fixated on seeking victory for power but would focus on developing the nation instead.

“Politics is a noble effort to ensure people’s welfare,” he said.

The party has been heavily criticized after one of its politicians, Ratu Atut Chosiyah, was implicated in an alleged graft case involving suspended Constitutional Court chief Akil Mochtar. The Golkar Party has also come under fire in recent weeks over corruption allegations levied at Atut’s politically connected family. Atut and her relatives and friends in power in Banten have been accused of using their stranglehold on Banten’s political sphere to siphon off billions of rupiah in public funds each year.

Atut’s brother, Tubagus Chaeri Wardana, was arrested alongside Golkar Party lawmaker Chairun Nisa during the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) investigation into alleged election rigging by Akil.

Banten residents, especially those from the underdeveloped Lebak and Serang districts, have emerged as vocal critics of corruption since the KPK began its investigation. The KPK’s list of suspects appears stacked with Golkar Party members. Aburizal previously said political dynasties are an unavoidable fact of Indonesian politics and that parties should be more concerned with the qualifications of their candidates than their family connections.

There was no evidence that Atut was involved in any corruption at the Constitutional Court, he said. Aburizal also denied allegations that Atut ran a family dynasty in Banten. “It is common for politically connected families to win elections,” he said, explaining that Atut was no different than former US President George H.W. Bush.

Author/Autor:Robertus Wardhi

Source/Fuente:http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/golkar-party-plans-to-focus-on-devel...