BY MAX LANE
Golkar chairperson Akbar Tanjung has accused the People's Democratic Party and two student activist organisations, Forkot and Jarkot, of being behind the burning down of its offices throughout East Java.
Jakarta's main daily, Kompas, reported Tanjung as telling journalists on February 8: "If not them, who? The members of the Nahdlatul Ulama don't like violence".
The head of Golkar's central leadership council, Mahadai Sinambela, backed Tanjung: "The PRD has had a long-term strategy of systematically campaigning for the banning of Golkar."
The PRD rejected Golkar's accusations outright, stating that the attacks on the party's office were manifestations of mass anger.
PRD chairperson Budiman Sujatmiko pointed out that Golkar's accusations mirrored Suharto's attempt to blame the PRD for riots in 1996. "This just shows that Golkar is the same machine it was during the Suharto period and that it wants to be able to work the same way today," he said.
In a statement issued on February 8, the PRD said that it respected the demand for the banning of Golkar, which has spontaneously emerged from recent mass demonstrations.
"Golkar must be held accountable before a people's tribunal," the statement read, "both its individual members and as an institution, for the crimes against humanity, against human rights as well as corruption, collusion and nepotism that occurred during the New Order. It will be up to the people's tribunal to decide whether Golkar should be banned. The demand for the banning of Golkar is therefore not in contradiction with the position of the PRD."
Activists from Forkot and Jarkot are considering legal action against Tanjung.