Megawati accuses govt of trampling over democracy<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The embattled leader of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party (PDI), Megawati Soekarnoputri, said yesterday
\nthat the government had trampled over democracy when settling
\npolitical disputes.<\/p>\n
She said the government's support for her foes' maneuver to
\nillegally unseat her reflected how moral standards and democratic
\nprinciples had slipped.<\/p>\n
\"The meddling could be seen from the congress' preparation
\nuntil after it was over,\" she said in a statement presented to a
\nseminar in Yogyakarta by Mochtar Buchori, the deputy chief of
\nPDI's research and development department.<\/p>\n
The congress held in Medan, North Sumatra, from June 20
\nthrough June 22 elected Soerjadi as the new PDI chairman. But
\nMegawati retains strong popular support as the party's leader.<\/p>\n
Megawati, a daughter of late president Sukarno, also accused
\nthe government of intimidating PDI provincial leaders so that
\nthey attended the Medan congress.<\/p>\n
The military and the government have repeatedly denied
\nengineering the disputed congress, saying that they only
\n\"facilitated the wish of a majority of PDI members\".<\/p>\n
Megawati said it was time the government stopped abusing its
\npower when dealing with political disputes. It was time things
\nwere resolved legally.<\/p>\n
The seminar held by Gadjah Mada University also featured the
\nDeputy Governor of the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas),
\nJuwono Sudarsono, a law professor from the Diponegoro University
\nin Semarang, Satjipto Rahardjo, and a lecturer from Gadjah Mada
\nUniversity, Sanyoto.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, veteran PDI politician Marsoesi criticized
\nMinister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. for hastily recognizing
\nSoerjadi and for giving him the authority to propose PDI's
\ncandidates for the House of Representatives next year.<\/p>\n
\"The minister is confusing the public because even the
\nPresident has not recognized Soerjadi,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He doubted Soerjadi's ability to consolidate the PDI because
\nthe general election was only a year away and he had little
\nsupport from PDI members.<\/p>\n
Support for Megawati, from individuals and organizations, kept
\nrising yesterday in different parts of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
In Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, about 1,000 activists from
\nthe Indonesian Front for Democracy took to the city's streets
\nexpressing their support for Megawati and rejecting the rebel
\ncongress.<\/p>\n
The rally started at 9 a.m. in front of the PDI Ujungpandang
\nchapter's office. Demonstrators took turns on a stage expressing
\ntheir opinions about the PDI leadership crisis.<\/p>\n
The \"free forum\" lasted two hours before the protesters took
\nto the streets. They visited the homes of several PDI members who
\nhad attended the rebel congress, but none of them were in. Anti-
\nriot police were on hand.<\/p>\n
The protesters also staged a free forum in front of the South
\nSulawesi governor's office where they read a petition. They
\ndemanded that Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. resign
\nfor supporting the congress.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, about three hundred activists from the Indonesian
\nProsperous Labor Union marched to the PDI headquarters in Jl.
\nDiponegoro. Several of them staged a play in support of Megawati.<\/p>\n
The union's members marched from the office of the nearby
\nFoundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute.<\/p>\n
In Cilacap, Central Java, soothsayer Permadi Satrio Wiwoho
\nsaid yesterday that he was a Megawati loyalist, but denied that
\nhe had challenged the government.<\/p>\n
\"I support Megawati out of my sympathy to the eldest daughter
\nof the late president Sukarno,\" he told The Jakarta Post after
\nattending a meeting of PDI's Cilacap branch. (imn\/har\/wah\/20)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawati-accuses-govt-of-trampling-over-democracy-1447893297",
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