Alleged defection may worsen conflict in PDI<\/p>\n
CIAWI, West Java (JP): The rival executive board of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party (PDI) claimed yesterday that party
\nsecretary general Alexander Litaay has defected to its camp.<\/p>\n
Rival board chairman Jusuf Merukh told journalists that party
\nrebels, who ended a three-day meeting here yesterday, had
\nappointed Litaay a deputy chairman of the rival board.<\/p>\n
Jusuf said Litaay was present at the meeting that proceeded
\nsmoothly without the authorities' intervention although it had no
\nofficial permit. The meeting was attended by about 200
\ndisgruntled party activists.<\/p>\n
Neither Litaay, nor the legitimate PDI chief, Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, were available for comment on Jusuf's claim.<\/p>\n
\"Once you see Alex Litaay is at the party's headquarters in
\nJl. Diponegoro (Jakarta) that means the new board starts working
\nthere,\" he said when briefing journalists on the results of the
\nmeeting.<\/p>\n
Jusuf's claim was the latest development in the seemingly
\nnever-ending story of bitter conflict within the minority party.<\/p>\n
Jusuf and several disgruntled party members set up the rival
\nboard to challenge the leadership of democratically-elected
\nMegawati, the eldest daughter of the late president Sukarno.<\/p>\n
The government, which reluctantly endorsed her election, has
\nrepeatedly reaffirmed its support for Megawati and denied charges
\nthat it covertly backs party rebels.<\/p>\n
Head of PDI's center for research and development Kwik Kian
\nGie told The Jakarta Post yesterday he did not believe that Alex
\njoined the rival board.<\/p>\n
\"I dare to say that Jusuf Merukh's claim is not true,\" he
\nsaid, adding that he also failed to make contact with Litaay.<\/p>\n
Jusuf said that Litaay and another party rebel, Said Kuntjoro,
\nhad agreed to assume posts in the rival board he set up last
\nyear. They are among 24 other disgruntled PDI activists listed in
\nJusuf's board of leadership.<\/p>\n
The authorities' failure to stop Jusuf's three-day unlicensed
\ngathering angered Megawati's camp yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"I can't stop wondering why an illegal party board can hold an
\nillegal gathering without intervention by security authorities,\"
\nsaid Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno, one of Megawati's deputies.<\/p>\n
\"But it happened in Cengkareng, where people face arrest if
\nmore than five gather without the official permit,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Tense<\/p>\n
Eastern Cengkareng is tense at the moment due to area
\nresidents' violent rejection of a West Jakarta administration
\nplan to evict hundreds of residents to make way for a housing
\nproject.<\/p>\n
Jusuf said that he had obtained \"a verbal permit\" from the
\nauthorities to hold the congress at Hotel Satria. He declined to
\nname the authorities.<\/p>\n
\"The meeting needed no permit because the authorities knew
\nvery well that it would not spark rioting, let alone disrupt
\nstability,\" said Merukh, who is also known as a businessman.<\/p>\n
He pointed at police and security guard posts outside of the
\nhotel.<\/p>\n
Major organizations are required to obtain a permit from the
\npolice, with a recommendation from the Ministry of Home Affairs,
\nbefore organizing mass meetings.<\/p>\n
Around 140 participants signed a statement saying that Jusuf
\nwas a \"nationalist\" and had no links with the defunct Indonesian
\nCommunist party (PKI). They also urged Merukh to sue PDI deputy
\nchairman Suparlan for accusing him of being a communist.<\/p>\n
Jusuf, a former legislator for the PDI faction, said he
\nplanned to hold an extraordinary congress in April to elect a
\n\"permanent\" PDI executive board and to adopt party programs for
\nthe next five years.<\/p>\n
Besides that, the new board plans to screen all party members
\nto make sure that they have no past links with the defunct
\ncommunist party, or any other outlawed organizations, he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, an official of the Ministry of Home Affairs
\nclaimed that it was not aware of the PDI rival board meeting,
\nsaying no recommendation had been given to Jusuf.<\/p>\n
\"The ministry knows nothing about the meeting,\" spokesman for
\nthe ministry HSA Yussac said.<\/p>\n
Yussac said the ministry would check to confirm that the
\nmeeting had taken place.<\/p>\n
Earlier Minister of Home Affairs Yogie S.M. denied Jusuf's
\nclaim that the government had committed itself to donating part
\nof the Rp 3 billion (US$1.3 million) he needs for the April
\nextraordinary congress. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/alleged-defection-may-worsen-conflict-in-pdi-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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