GOLKAR WITHERING

I saw this coming, although I expected it to take a little longer (at least until sometime in the middle of the coming week, alongside Indonesia's official presidential election result and the naming of the new cabinet):

Major revolt in Jakarta parties

Rivals' problems will allow Bambang to consolidate his position

By Derwin Pereira

JAKARTA - Indonesia's major political parties are tearing at the seams following the victory of former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the presidential election.
Outgoing President Megawati Sukarnoputri flanked by other coalition leaders under siege - Vice-President and PPP chairman Hamzah Haz left, and Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung.

Deep fissures in Golkar, the Indonesian Democratic Party Struggle (PDI-P) and the Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP) will allow Mr Bambang to consolidate his small and tenuous grip on the legislature as part of a two-pronged strategy that includes placing an ally in the parliamentary speaker's post.

The Bambang coalition was locked in battle with its Golkar-led enemies to clinch the powerful position late last night.

The main aim is to exploit dissension in the rank and file of the juggernauts as the three party leaders face the first direct challenge to their positions in years.

Golkar is the most telling. The party is in disarray, with chairman Akbar Tandjung desperately trying to retain party control.

In a pre-emptive strike to maintain his grip, he fired 15 pro-Bambang Golkar members, accusing them of not supporting the party's formal position of backing Ms Megawati Sukarnoputri for the presidency.

In spite of his party's problems, Akbar was still able to maintain the unity of Gokar and the coalition just enough to secure the parliamentary speaker's position:

SENIOR Golkar politician Agung Laksono was elected as the Speaker of Indonesia's Parliament yesterday, beating a candidate backed by parties supporting the man expected to be Indonesia's next president, Mr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Mr Agung won 280 votes to beat Mr Endin Sofihara of the United Development Party (PPP) who got 257 votes in a closely fought contest.

The Golkar victory in the House of Representatives (DPR) looks to be a setback for Mr Bambang, who will face an opposition coalition which has control of 55 per cent of the 550 seats in Parliament.

Ahem... Golkar, supposedly, is in a coalition that commands 55% of the votes in parliament. The party's man was elected by around 52% of voting parliamentarians. The de-facto president elect is backed by a party that has about 10% of the seats in parliament, but he still got 48% of the vote for the speaker's post – and the patronage hasn't even started.

The vote on the speaker was not a victory for Golkar, it was a warning.