Basofi may choose easy way out of PDI rift<\/p>\n
By Ainur R. Sophiaan<\/p>\n
SURABAYA (JP): Under pressure to resolve the chairmanship
\ncrisis in the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) local chapter,
\nEast Java Governor Basofi Soedirman may eventually choose the
\neasy way out of openly favoring one rival over the other, an
\nobserver believes.<\/p>\n
Ramlan Surbakti, a political scientist at Airlangga
\nUniversity, thinks Basofi's may reject the two neutral options of
\neither holding a fresh chairmanship election or leaving things as
\nthey are and the PDI seat on the regional committee for the 1997
\ngeneral elections vacant.<\/p>\n
Indications abound that Basofi has had a favorite all along
\nand that it's only a matter of time before he announces his
\npreference, Ramlan said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"The option of openly choosing Latief as the chapter chairman
\nseems to be the most likely now. Latief is a figure who can be
\n'tamed' most easily by those in power,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Basofi will consequently have to garner the support of his
\npolitical allies and come up with a legal justification, but
\nchoosing Latief over Soetjipto will only spawn other problems,
\nRamlan said.<\/p>\n
The PDI central executive board, led by Soetjipto supporter
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri, will refuse to recognize Latief's
\nleadership. Problems will continue to arise and pose risks to the
\norder of the general election procedures.<\/p>\n
Basofi has been squeezed by the conflict for more than two
\nyears. Pressure on him to resolve it has been increasing as the
\n1997 general election approaches and before that when he has to
\ncarry out a number of scheduled activities, such as the
\nregistration of voters.<\/p>\n
Last month Basofi was forced to leave PDI unrepresented on the
\nregional election committee because, he said, he could not just
\npick one over the other to sit in the body.<\/p>\n
Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. first set Feb. 29 as
\nthe deadline for the party to resolve the conflict and the
\ngovernor to complete the membership of the committee.<\/p>\n
He later changed the deadline to the last day of May.<\/p>\n
Soetjipto told the Post that Basofi will probably use the
\nextra time to stall.<\/p>\n
\"The problem comes from outside. It only involves which one of
\nus the provincial administration is willing to recognize. It
\ncould be solved right now.\" Soetjipto said.<\/p>\n
He did not comment on the possibility that Basofi would
\neventually choose his rival.<\/p>\n
\"This chapter board is like a locomotive which is forced to
\ntravel on a road rather than on the railway track,\" he said,
\nimplying that it is impossible to act properly when the
\nfundamentals are disrupted.<\/p>\n
Latief also refused to comment apart from saying that he was
\noptimistic that the problem would eventually be resolved. \"If
\neverybody involved in this situation is willing to place the
\nnational interest over their personal or group's interests, then
\nwe'll have a solution,\" he told the Post.<\/p>\n
Soetjipto accused Basofi of rigging events, despite his
\ndeclaration of impartiality, so that support for Latief appears
\nto be growing.<\/p>\n
A well-informed source told the Post that Basofi created the
\nsupport for Latief by appointing to the election committee the
\nactivists Megawati had dismissed from the executive board. Among
\nthem are Harun Al Rasyid, Mas'ud and Sany Setiadi, who are known
\nto be Latief loyalists.<\/p>\n
The source, requesting anonymity, cited another example of
\nBasofi's support for Latief. The governor held a closed meeting
\nwith Golkar local leaders and admitted he planned to recognize
\nLatief as \"the legitimate chapter chairman of PDI for the period
\n1994 - 1999\".<\/p>\n
When asked for confirmation, Basofi refused to comment. He
\nsaid, however, that he has been preparing a \"complete
\nexplanation\" on the conflict for the public. He did not say when
\nit will be announced.<\/p>",
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