Megawati promises to sort out PDI's problems<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Megawati Soekarnoputri yesterday pledged to the
\ngovernment that she would sort out the conflicts within the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party (PDI), including the reports that one
\nof its leaders was a communist, without turning to outside help.<\/p>\n
Megawati, who chairs Indonesia's smallest political party,
\nyesterday went to see Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M.
\nat his office to discuss the latest development in PDI, which has
\nbeen beset by internal problems.<\/p>\n
She told reporters later that she gave her word to Yogie that
\nthese conflicts would be resolved in accordance with the party's
\nconstitution and that there was no need for PDI to look for
\noutside mediation.<\/p>\n
These problems include an allegation that the chairman of the
\nPDI chapter in West Java was a suspected communist, she said. She
\ndeclined to go into detail, saying that this and other matters
\nwould be discussed further by the party leadership today.<\/p>\n
She also reported to Yogie about the way she was handling the
\nemergence of a rival executive board by a number of dissenting
\nmembers.<\/p>\n
The executive board on Tuesday expelled Gerry Mbatemooy, a
\nformer deputy chairman who announced the formation of the rival
\nboard last week.<\/p>\n
The expulsion of Gerry and Latief Pudjosakti, a senior party
\nmember in East Java, was also reported to Yogie, she said.<\/p>\n
Megawati, who was accompanied by her deputies Soetardjo
\nSoerjogoeritno, Fatimah Ahmad and Yahya Theo at the meeting, said
\nthe minister in his response also believed that PDI should be
\nable to resolve its own internal conflicts.<\/p>\n
Yogie's spokesman H.S.A. Yussac said the minister stressed the
\nimportance of resolving any conflict through dialog.<\/p>\n
On the communist allegation, the minister also suggested that
\nMegawati consult with people in West Java before taking any
\naction, Yussac said, adding that the ministry had not received
\nany report on this issue either.<\/p>\n
The West Java military last week said Djadjang Kurniadi, the
\nlocal PDI chapter chairman, was strongly suspected to have past
\ncommunist links. Djadjang has denied the accusation.<\/p>\n
The allegation prompted Gerry, long known to oppose Megawati's
\nleadership, to form his own executive board, saying that the move
\nwas intended to save the party from communist infiltration. He
\nsaid Djadjang's case was not the only one.<\/p>\n
Yesterday the Central Java chapter of PDI in Semarang, in
\napparent response to Gerry's charges, asked the local military to
\nconfirm or deny allegations that three of the chapter's members
\nalso had communist links.<\/p>\n
\"If these allegations are correct, then we have to get rid of
\nthose members,\" said Bantu Soenarjo, the chapter deputy
\nsecretary.<\/p>\n
Megawati yesterday also invited Minister Yogie to address PDI
\non Jan. 10 in Solo, Central Java, during the party's celebration
\nof its 22nd anniversary. The minister has agreed to attend the
\ncelebration, Yussac said.<\/p>\n
In Solo, the chief organizer of the PDI anniversary, Makyo
\nSumaryo, said the party has also invited Abdurrahman Wahid,
\nchairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, to attend the anniversary
\ncommemoration.<\/p>\n
Makyo said Megawati will make a speech which will stress the
\nneed for the party to reconcile differences and consolidate its
\nstrength.(emb\/har)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawati-promises-to-sort-out-pdis-problems-1447893297",
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