Alex denies split in PDI Perjuangan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) secretary-general Alex Litay denied on Monday reports
\nof an escalating internal party rift ahead of the party's
\nnational congress.<\/p>\n
\"As far as I have observed there is no split in the party's
\nelite this close to the congress. All party members, including
\nDimyati Hartono and Eros Djarot, have a right to be nominated
\nparty chief and to contend the election in accordance with the
\nparty's statutes,\" he said after delivering his opening speech at
\nthe congress of the Eastern Indonesia Younger Generation (GMIT)
\nhere on Monday.<\/p>\n
He also said the party's South Jakarta branch could not block
\nEros from the race, saying that nominees would be determined
\nduring the congress.<\/p>\n
\"Party branches have no right to determine who should contend
\nthe election. They cannot prevent Eros or Dimyati from contending
\nthe election,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Certain factions within the party are known to have taken
\nmeasures in an attempt to block anyone running against incumbent
\nchief Megawati Soekarnoputri in the election during the congress
\nto be held in Semarang.<\/p>\n
Eros, whose membership in the party was registered in South
\nJakarta, complained last week over the South Jakarta branch's
\nrecent decision to bar his nomination in the PDI Perjuangan
\nleadership race.<\/p>\n
Attempts to block alternative candidates have been deemed odd,
\nparticularly since no one doubts that Megawati will be reelected.<\/p>\n
Eros has repeatedly said that he does not believe that
\nMegawati is behind efforts to block his bid, but overzealous
\nsupporters.<\/p>\n
Party sources told The Jakarta Post that the escalating feud
\nbetween the \"reformist\" and \"conservative\" groups were deep.<\/p>\n
\"Roy B. Janis, chairman of the Jakarta chapter, Mangara
\nSiahaan and Suparlan, both members of the executive board, are
\nleading a 'success team' to reelect Megawati to the top party
\npost,\" said the source, adding that Megawati's husband, Taufik
\nKiemas, was behind the team.<\/p>\n
Another source said the presence of \"politically uneducated
\nhoodlums\" in the party's executive board, regional and local
\nbranches and the House of Representatives, had prevented the
\nparty from adopting reform.<\/p>\n
Internally there was also talk that moves had been taken to
\nremove Dimyati as head of the PDI Perjuangan faction at the House
\nof Representatives.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, executives of PDI Perjuangan's Research and
\nDevelopment Center have remained silent concerning the rift in
\nthe party, saying they have proposed suggestions to the executive
\nboard on how to solve the rift.<\/p>\n
They admitted that their proposals had not been satisfactorily
\nresponded to.<\/p>\n
The center's executives Sudirman, Sapto, Abadi Hutagalung and
\nCypri Aoer declined to comment, saying they did not want to be
\ndragged into any rift.<\/p>\n
\"One of our tasks is to give input to the executive board and
\nwe have done it. If no action is taken to solve the rift it is
\nnot our fault,\" said Sudirman.<\/p>\n
They also declined to comment on why Megawati had taken no
\ninitiative to resolve the rift.<\/p>\n
Ahead of the congress, which begins on March 27, the party
\nwill hold a two-day seminar on regional autonomy.<\/p>\n
\"Besides collecting input from political and economic experts,
\nthe seminar is also aimed at correcting the misleading perception
\nthat regional autonomy is aimed at sharing power and money with
\nprovinces and regencies,\" he said without elaborating.<\/p>\n
He merely added that PDI Perjuangan supported the regional
\nautonomy plan in an endeavor to maintain national unity. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/alex-denies-split-in-pdi-perjuangan-1447893297",
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