Akbar's Maneuver

Former Golkar party chief Akbar Tandjung made a 'surprising move', when he went to see President Joko Widodo at the Presidential Palace 24 hours before the Banyan tree party peace talks began. Clad in a dark brown batik shirt, he came an hour earlier than Agung Laksono, who also wanted to see Jokowi the same afternoon last Wednesday.

The chair of Golkar's Advisory Council, elected at the Bali National Congress, tried to convince Jokowi that the conflict within his party would not disrupt relations with the government. Golkar, he said, did not want to be perceived as the party always opposing the government. "Golkar will support the government's pro-people policies," Akbar said, recounting his meeting with Jokowi last Thursday, to Tempo.

January 13, 2015