Mega backs Sutiyoso, angry with city chapters<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) Megawati Soekarnoputri defied the wishes of her
\nparty's branches and its members by announcing on Tuesday that
\nthe party's central board supported the reelection of Jakarta
\nGovernor Sutiyoso.<\/p>\n
\"We have considered the pros and cons of Sutiyoso's
\nnomination,\" the party's central board secretary general Sutjipto
\nsaid after a meeting at Megawati's home in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Sutjipto said his party would back Sutiyoso, a former Jakarta
\nMilitary Commander, for security reasons, as he was expected to
\nsecure the next general election in 2004 and the Annual Session
\nof the People's Consultative Assembly to elect the president in
\n2005.<\/p>\n
He also hailed Sutiyoso, for having survived during the
\ntransition period of four recent presidents: Soeharto, B.J.
\nHabibie, Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati.<\/p>\n
Megawati's decision to nominate Sutiyoso was clearly against
\nthe aspirations of the party's six branches in the city. Earlier
\nthis month, they proposed 11 gubernatorial candidates, but not
\nSutiyoso.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of party members also staged a rally at the City
\nCouncil building to protest Sutiyoso's nomination. They sharply
\ncriticized Megawati for her support of Sutiyoso, and called her a
\ntraitor. The protesters argued that Sutiyoso was still a suspect
\nfor his alleged involvement in the bloody attack against the
\nparty's headquarters on July 27, 1996.<\/p>\n
Sutjipto said on Tuesday that the nomination of Sutiyoso,
\nwhose five-year term ends in October, should not halt the legal
\nprocess.<\/p>\n
Although Megawati has decided on her position, the party's
\ncity chapter chairman and council deputy chairman Tarmidi
\nSuhardjo pledged to join the race for the election, which will be
\nheld on Sept. 17.<\/p>\n
He was among 11 candidates who were proposed by the party's
\nsix branches here.<\/p>\n
Tarmidi earlier said that Megawati would nominate him as the
\ndeputy governor. At first, he said that he would accept her
\ndecision. But he later stated that he preferred to be \"slapped\"
\nby Megawati and kicked out of the party rather than betraying his
\nsupporters and withdraw his nomination.<\/p>\n
Last year Tarmidi and two other councillors were named
\nsuspects in a controversial trip overseas dubbed Ancolgate. They
\nhad received Rp 50 million and US$5,000 but did not actually take
\nthe October 2000 trip.<\/p>\n
Tarmidi and some 25 party councillors met Megawati on Monday
\nnight to discuss the party stance.<\/p>\n
Megawati was reportedly angry with the stance of the party's
\ncity chapter members.<\/p>\n
Separately, councillor Audi I.Z. Tambunan said that Tarmidi
\nwould be lacking in discipline if he stayed in the race.<\/p>\n
\"Megawati, as the party chairwoman, has the right to choose
\nthe party's candidates. Tarmidi could be expelled from the party
\nif he defies her order,\" Audi said.<\/p>\n
But a councillor from the party, Pantas Nainggolan, believed
\nthat Tarmidi could still be nominated by the party's faction.<\/p>\n
If the faction nominated Tarmidi, some councillors could vote
\nfor him as the voting would be conducted secretly.<\/p>\n
The election would be determined by the council's 84
\ncouncillors. PDI Perjuangan has 30 seats, the National Mandate
\nparty has 13 seats, the United Development Party has 12 seats and
\nthe Indonesian Military (TNI)\/Police has nine seats, the Golkar
\nParty has eight seats and the remaining seats belong to small
\nparties.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mega-backs-sutiyoso-angry-with-city-chapters-1447893297",
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