GOLKAR WARNS CADRES FOR JOINING NATIONAL DEMOCRATS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 25 (ANTARA) - Second winner of the 2009 general elections Golkar Party has called on its cadres who joined the National Democrats (Nasdem) to reunite, or face discharge if the organization, which was founded by media magnate Surya Paloh, turns into a political party.          "The Golkar Party is from now reminding its cadres to return. If they have been reminded repeatedly and still stay there while Nasdem has become a political party, they will be sacked. They cannot possess membership in two concurrent political parties," Golkar General Chairman Aburizal Bakrie said.          Bakrie believed that Nasdem, which was founded by a number of Golkar cadres sphere headed by Paloh, a Golkar patron board member, was being prepared to become a political party. Paloh recently hinted Nasdem's ambitions of mobilizing as a political party in time to contest the 2014 general elections.          Bakrie said that Golkar's cadres should be gentle and possess single loyalty to Golkar so that cadres who had joined Nasdem should return to Golkar.          Nasdem is a social organization movement founded by Surya Paloh, a patron board member at the Golkar Party. Paloh founded the National Democrat movement shortly after he was defeated by Aburizal Bakrie during a vote to name the chairman of the party at Golkar's national congress in Pekanbaru, Riau province, in October 2009.         Several high-profile Golkar members currently hold key posts as National Democrats, including Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) official Syamsul Ma'arif, who is the organization's secretary general, and TV news anchor Meutya Viada Hafid, who heads its division for women, youth and student affairs, according to the Jakarta Globe. Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwiono X, has also joined the organization.          However, Bakrie said that the presence of Nasdem was not a threat to Golkar. "The presence of Nasdem is no threat to Golkar. It is only a small social organization," he said after a discussion on the impact of the ruling party coalition secretariat on democracy on Thursday night.          Bakrie said that he pleased Nasdem if it was willing to stay as a mass organization but warned that it should not influence the Golkar Party cadres. However, Golkar will not leave it unquestioned if Nasdem tries to tempt, influence or even incite the Golkar Party cadres.          "If it develops a disturbing situation, the Golkar Party will act," Bakrie who is also a former chief minister for people's welfare and the chairman of the ruling party coalition secretariat, said.          Therefore, he said that if Nasdem later became a political party, cadres should return or quit the Golkar Party.          The party's deputy secretary for organization affairs, Samsul Bahri meanwhile asked  Golkar Party cadres that have joined the National Democrat organization to resign and return to the party's fold.  "So far we are still appealing to them and have not yet given any warning. However, Golkar will issue firmer directives if its appeal is ignored," he said.          Nurul Arifin, another deputy secretary general of the party, said it was unethical for the leaders of Nasdem in recruiting its members because they use Golkar's infrastructure.          "There are many Golkar cadres in Nasdem. They are both Golkar's executives and those who are not accommodated in the current Golkar leadership. They recruited Nasdem members using the Golkar Party's infrastructure," Nurul Arifin, said.          Arifin explained that Nasdem approached Golkar cadres in a number of provinces in Indonesia asking them to join as if Nasdem was part of Golkar.          Previously, Golkar Party Secretary General Idrus Marham called on party cadres not to be influenced by approaches made by Nasdem.          "To those who have already joined it we ask them to withdraw and reunite to build Golkar Party together," Idrus Marham said on Wednesday, stressing that the mass organization was not part of the Golkar Party infrastructure and was being prepared by its founders to become a political party later.          Signs that the National Democrat was being prepared to become a political party, he said, could be seen from the organization's efforts to set up executive boards at provincial, district and mayoralty levels so far by recruiting Golkar Party cadres, he said.          "Therefore, I call on party cadres not to be influenced by any offer from the National Democrat organization and to remain loyal to the Golkar Party," he said on Wednesday.          The National Democrats responded by saying Golkar's warning was inappropriate, and called for a high-level dialogue between officials from the two groups to settle any differences, according to the Jakarta Globe.          On Thursday however, Marham said that Golkar warning for all its members to steer clear of the National Democrats social organization should not be misconstrued as a sign of the party panicking over the emergence of a potential rival.          Marham said the party did not see the organization as a threat. He also clarified his earlier warning by saying Golkar members currently affiliated with the National Democrats would not face administrative sanctions. However, he went on, if the organization went on to become a political party, Golkar members would have to pick a side.          The National Democrats' organization and membership head, Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, said Idrus'claim that Golkar did not feel threatened by the group made no sense in light of his earlier call for party members to distance themselves from the social organization.***1*** (T.A014/A/H-NG/A014) 25-06-2010 18:33:0