Megawati vows to keep on fighting<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The beleaguered Megawati Soekarnoputri vowed to
\nkeep defending her position as the legitimate chief of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party (PDI).<\/p>\n
\"We have set sail and the boat will cruise. There is no
\nturning back,\" Megawati said yesterday while opening an
\nextraordinary conference of the PDI Jakarta chapter.<\/p>\n
The PDI leadership has been in crisis since breakaway party
\nleaders elected Soerjadi as the party chairman in a much-
\ncriticized, government-backed congress in Medan, North Sumatra,
\nlast month.<\/p>\n
The government has recognized Soerjadi as the party's new
\nleader and barred Megawati from representing the party at next
\nyear's election. Megawati was elected chairperson of the party by
\npopular vote, and her leadership still retains strong grassroots'
\nsupport.<\/p>\n
The Megawati camp has been demanding that the government
\nwithdraw its recognition of the Medan congress and stop meddling
\nin the party's internal affairs.<\/p>\n
She said the government has trampled on the PDI's dignity by
\nrecognizing the unconstitutional congress. \"Defending the
\nlegitimate leadership is an honor,\" she said.<\/p>\n
What the PDI members really need is a leader who can
\naccommodate their aspirations, not one who counts on an external
\nforce, she said.<\/p>\n
She said the PDI chapters in the regencies should hold
\nconferences to consolidate her leadership and prepare for next
\nyear's election.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto called on PDI executives last week to
\nconsolidate and put an end to their conflict.<\/p>\n
Minister\/State Secretary Moerdiono said that President
\nSoeharto would meet Soerjadi only if he was able to make peace
\nwith Megawati's camp.<\/p>\n
Under Indonesian political tradition, an audience with the
\nPresident means that the government has endorsed the elected
\nleadership of a particular organization.<\/p>\n
\"President Soeharto will receive the new PDI central board
\nonly if the party leadership consolidates,\" Moerdiono quoted
\nSoeharto as saying last week.<\/p>\n
Megawati has filed a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against her
\nopponents and some government officials for endorsing the rebel
\ncongress.<\/p>\n
A lawyer representing Megawati, Dimyati Hartono, said at a
\npress conference yesterday that a referendum was the best way to
\nsolve the party's crisis: \"The dispute on PDI's dual leadership
\nwill reach a deadlock if the opposing camps claim they have their
\nown leader.\"<\/p>\n
He said that the PDI was not a government institution, so the
\ndecision to settle the party's dispute should be left to its
\nmembers.<\/p>\n
\"Let the PDI members decide who their leader is,\" he said. \"I
\nsuggest that PDI conduct a referendum allowing its members to
\nchose their leader.\"<\/p>\n
\"If Megawati gets more votes than Soerjadi in the referendum,
\nSoerjadi has to accept it, and the other way around,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Contesting some observers' doubts that it would take a long
\ntime to hold a referendum, Dimyati guaranteed that a referendum
\ncould be completed within two weeks.<\/p>\n
\"With the help of sophisticated communication technology, I
\nguarantee that the referendum will take no longer than two
\nweeks,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said, however, that the decision to hold a referendum would
\ndepend on the political will of the two opposing camps, as well
\nas that of the government.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, about three thousand Megawati supporters stretched
\na 500-meter long banner containing their signatures along Jl.
\nProklamasi in Central Jakarta yesterday afternoon.<\/p>\n
The supporters, singing and shouting support for Megawati,
\nthen took the banner to the Taman Ismail Marzuki Art and
\nExhibition center before moving to the PDI headquarters on Jl.
\nDiponegoro, where the procession ended.<\/p>\n
Three of Megawati's party executives, Alexander Litaay,
\nSoetardjo Soerjogoeritno and Haryanto Taslam, said they would
\nreject Soerjadi's offer to nominate them for the preliminary list
\nof PDI candidates for next year's election. (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawati-vows-to-keep-on-fighting-1447893297",
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