Megawati's actions constitutional: ABRI<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) said ousted Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party (PDI) chief Megawati Soekarnoputri has not
\ncommitted any unconstitutional acts in her battle to regain her
\nposition.<\/p>\n
The statement was given yesterday by ABRI Chief of
\nSociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, who said there was
\nno evidence that Megawati has broken any laws.<\/p>\n
Megawati lost her chair position in June last year during a
\ngovernment-backed breakaway congress in Medan, North Sumatra.
\nFollowing the event that saw the reinstatement of chairman
\nSoerjadi in her place, the government insisted that there was no
\nsuch thing as \"Megawati's PDI\".<\/p>\n
\"Megawati has always been constitutional in her actions,\"
\nSyarwan told reporters yesterday. \"She always rejects illegal and
\nunconstitutional ways of settling problems.\"<\/p>\n
He said the government and the Armed Forces have not observed
\nMegawati or her supporters planning and organizing any illegal
\nactivities.<\/p>\n
Syarwan was commenting on Megawati's recent statement that she
\nwas unwilling to open dialog with Soerjadi's faction in a bid to
\nsettle the party's internal rift.<\/p>\n
\"I don't want to comment on the proposed dialog. I think we
\n(people) should concentrate on making the general meeting of the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly (MPR) a success in March,\" he
\nsaid. MPR is scheduled to draft broad guidelines of state
\npolicies and elect a president and vice president.<\/p>\n
Syarwan said he doubted a party congress could settle PDI's
\nproblems.<\/p>\n
\"Can they (PDI) guarantee that the congress will settle the
\nproblems, even though the two factions can't even agree on a date
\nfor the congress?\" he said.<\/p>\n
Soerjadi's faction announced plans to hold the congress in
\nJune, while Megawati wanted it in December 1998.<\/p>\n
Syarwan also said there is no urgency for PDI to move the
\nparty congress ahead of the scheduled date of June or December
\n1998.<\/p>\n
\"If they (Soerjadi's faction) really want to have a dialog
\n(congress), it should be held after the general assembly,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Megawati's faction rejected the planned dialog for possible
\nreconciliation on Saturday, saying that the initiative should
\ninstead come from the government.<\/p>\n
Frustrated with the continuing rift, PDI secretary-general
\nButtu R. Hutapea of Soerjadi's camp offered a reconciliation
\ndialog to Megawati in order to reach some sort of compromise
\nbefore next year's congress.<\/p>\n
The government, however, has so far refused to take initiative
\nin healing the fracture of the party, saying that it is chairman
\nSoerjadi who should do more to settle the problems.<\/p>\n
Asked whether he would be willing to mediate in the dispute,
\nSyarwan said he would first have to consult with the Armed
\nForces.<\/p>\n
\"However, I haven't received any request from the two rival
\nfactions to help settle their problems,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In a related development yesterday, lawyers representing
\nSoerjadi's faction lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court over
\nthe Jakarta High Court's recent ruling in favor of Megawati's
\nlawsuit.<\/p>\n
Lawyer Parlin Sitorus said he hoped the Supreme Court would
\ninstead uphold an earlier ruling by the Central Jakarta District
\nCourt which rejected to hear the lawsuit.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, the Jakarta High Court overturned the
\nlower district court's ruling that it did not have the authority
\nto try Megawati's lawsuit against Soerjadi and his supporters.
\nThe high court ordered the district court to reopen the case.
\n(imn\/05)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawatis-actions-constitutional-abri-1447893297",
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