Govt denies reports on additional seat for PDI<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government dismissed yesterday reports that
\nthe Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) obtained an additional
\nHouse of Representatives' seat for its North Sumatra legislative
\ncandidates.<\/p>\n
Suryatna Subrata, secretary general of the General Election
\nCommittee, said here that final poll results would be revealed
\ntomorrow and data from other sources was invalid.<\/p>\n
"Valid poll results (will be known Monday) when we open the
\nsealed election reports from the 27 provincial election
\ncommittees," he said after inspecting the preparations for
\nMonday's ceremony at the committee's office.<\/p>\n
He questioned PDI's announcement Friday that it had obtained
\n11 seats, one more than announced in the committee's provisional
\npoll results.<\/p>\n
"We have no idea where they obtained the data from...perhaps
\nfrom other sources," he said.<\/p>\n
PDI secretary general Buttu R. Hutapea said Friday the party
\nwas guaranteed another seat in the House after final data of the
\nNorth Sumatra provincial election committee showed an increase of
\n64,269 votes for PDI.<\/p>\n
"Provinces of North Sumatra, Central Java and East Java will
\neach have two seats, while West Java, West Kalimantan, East Nusa
\nTenggara, East Timor and Irian Jaya will each have one seat,"
\nHutapea said.<\/p>\n
This would put Fatimah Achmad, listed second on the North
\nSumatra candidate list, in the party's lineup of 11 House
\nmembers. She would join Panangian Siregar from North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Fatimah was among a small group of PDI executives who
\ninitiated a government-backed rebel party congress in Medan last
\nJune that toppled then PDI chief Megawati Soekarnoputri and
\nreplaced her with Soerjadi.<\/p>\n
Fatimah was unavailable for comment yesterday as she was still
\nin Paris on an official trip, according to household staff.<\/p>\n
Differences<\/p>\n
Suryatna conceded the final poll results would probably be
\ndifferent from provisional ones.<\/p>\n
"A poll contestant's showing may either increase of
\ndecrease...because it's possible that (in the final counting
\nstages it was found) more invalid votes or miscalculation during
\npreliminary counting," he said.<\/p>\n
Such changes were common in the previous elections, he said.
\n"In this case, the election committee will rely on data from the
\n27 provincial election committees."<\/p>\n
Suryatna also discussed controversy surrounding proposed vote
\ntrading -- in which the winner of election grants its excess
\nvotes to the loser so the latter may get additional seats. "The
\ncontroversy wouldn't have taken place had the three poll
\ncontestants heeded electoral rules," he said.<\/p>\n
The United Development Party (PPP), Golkar and the PDI "knew
\nthat vote tradeoff is possible only if (it was agreed upon)
\nbefore the election and with their consent," he said.<\/p>\n
"Yet, none of them was aware and made use of the opportunity."<\/p>\n
The West Java provincial chapters of PPP and Golkar agreed
\nlast week to give their excess votes to PDI, which failed to win
\na seat on the provincial council. The move was a violation of the
\nelection rules.<\/p>\n
Suryatna praised the agreement as proof of the chapters'
\nawareness of the need to uphold unity and brotherhood.<\/p>\n
Golkar chairman Harmoko initiated the motion by promising to
\ngrant its excess votes to PDI, a minority party so badly
\nsplintered that its election showing dropped to an all-time low
\nthis year. In 1992, it won 56 seats.<\/p>\n
Reconciliation<\/p>\n
In a related development, a PDI legislator relaunched
\nyesterday a proposal for reconciliation within the party.<\/p>\n
"I suggest the two camps reconcile, and establish a greater
\nand stronger PDI," Abdul Choliq Murod told The Jakarta Post in a
\ntelephone interview.<\/p>\n
"If the two camps do not meet and reconcile, I am pessimistic
\nthat PDI will be able to make a significant comeback into the
\nreal political arena in the future," he said..<\/p>\n
Choliq said Megawati, eldest daughter of deceased former
\npresident Sukarno, had charisma and support as her main assets to
\nlead the party. He said the party's dismal showing in the
\nelection revealed Megawati's strong influence on party members as
\nthey snubbed Soerjadi's faction.<\/p>\n
He recommended that Megawati reduce her "political rigidity"
\nwhen dealing with government officials. "She should be like
\nwater, adapting to any form of containers, and gaining power when
\nit's in abundance," he said. "She should not act like an iron
\nbar, which is hard but could easily be crushed." (imn)<\/p>",
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