Armed Forces cares for PDI, Gen. Feisal declares<\/p>\n
By M.M.I. Ahyani<\/p>\n
MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief Gen.
\nFeisal Tanjung said yesterday that the concern shown by the
\nmilitary to the condition of the Indonesian Democratic Party
\n(PDI) should not be seen as meddling in its internal affairs.<\/p>\n
\"ABRI supports every constitutional effort to conserve the
\nimage, integrity and cohesion of the party against the
\npolarization away from Pancasila democracy,\" Feisal said in
\naddressing a congress of PDI whose legality is questioned by the
\nparty chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri and her supporters.<\/p>\n
\"If ABRI is concerned about the fate of its fellow-in-arms, it
\ndoesn't mean that ABRI is meddling in its internal affairs.<\/p>\n
\"It simply reflects that ABRI cares about the efforts to
\ncombine the nation's potentials and strengths, to forge common
\nvision and action in facing problems that are counter-productive
\nto national stability, democracy and national unity,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The congress is organized by 16 members of the PDI Central
\nExecutive Board which broke away from Megawati. The splinter
\ngroup, headed by Fatimah Achmad, Megawati's deputy, claims to
\nhave the mandate of most of the party's branches.<\/p>\n
The event has the strong support of the government and the
\nmilitary, a move that exposed the authorities to criticisms of
\nmeddling in the party's internal affairs.<\/p>\n
A tight security cordon has been imposed around the Pangkalan
\nMasyhur Haj Dormitory, the venue of the congress.<\/p>\n
Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. opened the congress.
\nAlso present at the opening session were ABRI Chief of
\nSociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, North Sumatra
\nGovernor Raja Inal Siregar, Bukit Barisan Regional Command Chief
\nMaj. Gen. Sedarjanto and North Sumatra Police Chief Brig. Gen.
\nH.M. Nurdin.<\/p>\n
Yogie in his keynote address said the congress was the most
\nappropriate forum to break the impasse of the party's endless
\nbickering. \"I make this evaluation without ignoring the crux of
\nthe problem that this organization is facing,\" he said.<\/p>\n
PDI has failed to resolve the conflicts that have existed
\nsince its National Meeting in 1993, Yogie said, referring to the
\nevent that saw the election of Megawati to the helm.<\/p>\n
\"Another modus should be tried to resolve this. The government
\nhad expected to see deliberation between the conflicting parties
\nto reach a consensus. But it seems that this suggestion had not
\nbeen widely accepted,\" he said to a laud applause from the floor.<\/p>\n
Megawati has denounced the congress as unconstitutional and is
\nstaying put in Jakarta. She has also dismissed all the 16 central
\nboard members for rebelling against the party.<\/p>\n
Yogie said the government will not interfere on the question
\nof the PDI's leadership because this is one issue which the party
\nshould decide independently.<\/p>\n
Congress organizers said that while it is not the original
\nintention of the gathering to oust Megawati, the participants
\ncould demand a new line up of the central board.<\/p>\n
Soerjadi, who led the party between 1986 and 1993, appeared to
\nbe the only candidate. Currently holding the post as deputy
\nspeaker of the House of Representatives, Soejardi was present at
\nthe opening session.<\/p>\n
Gen. Feisal in his speech reminded the PDI that the 1997
\ngeneral election is fast approaching.<\/p>\n
He described the election as \"very strategic for the future of
\nthe nation\" and therefore the party, as a participant, should
\nmeet its responsibility.<\/p>\n
Fatimah Achmad in her report to the congress said that 283 of
\nthe PDI's 310 branches from all 27 provinces are represented in
\nthe congress. Stressing that the quorum is fulfilled, she
\ndeclared: \"This congress is legal.\"<\/p>\n
She said that she and her colleagues were motivated by the
\nfailure of the central board to implement the results of the 1993
\nNational Meeting and to rectify some of the moves the party has
\ntaken that have deviated from the party's objectives.<\/p>\n
Ismunandar, the secretary of the congress, said the congress
\nintends to reiterate and implement the party's four-point
\nmanifesto drawn up in 1993.<\/p>\n
The four are: to maintain the spirit of the New Order, to
\nsupport ABRI's dual-function (in defense and politics), to unite
\nwith other forces in the country under the leadership of
\nPresident Soeharto and to fight for a just and prosperous
\nsociety.<\/p>",
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