Megawati's camp denies ordering chapter takeovers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) executives
\naligned to Megawati Soekarnoputri have denied giving the order
\nfor a series of \"takeovers\" of party offices in several cities.<\/p>\n
Alexander Litaay, secretary-general of the ousted Megawati's
\nPDI leadership, said yesterday his camp was not involved in
\npersuading followers to take over the headquarters of party
\nchapters from supporters of the government-recognized chairman
\nSoerjadi.<\/p>\n
\"PDI members' actions to take over the chapter (buildings)
\nfrom Soerjadi's supporters were spontaneous,\" he told The Jakarta
\nPost.<\/p>\n
He said Megawati's faction had never issued an instruction to
\nits members to regain control of the chapters nationwide.<\/p>\n
\"It's completely their own initiative and right to retake what
\nbelongs to them, which was stolen in 1996.\"<\/p>\n
Megawati was ousted from the party's leadership and replaced
\nby Soerjadi in a government-backed congress in June 1996.<\/p>\n
Soerjadi's camp has held and maintained use of chapter offices
\nacross the country until the recent actions.<\/p>\n
The new government of President B.J. Habibie has so far shown
\na more relaxed control of the political climate than that of
\nformer president Soeharto. This has prompted Megawati loyalists
\nto begin takeovers of offices throughout the country.<\/p>\n
The action continued yesterday when about 100 Megawati
\nsupporters took control of the Central Java chapter's building in
\nSemarang.<\/p>\n
\"We took control of the PDI chapter building without asking
\nfor the Megawati PDI leadership's consent,\" said Sutikno,
\ncoordinator of the action.<\/p>\n
\"We took over the building at the request of Megawati's
\nCentral Java loyalists.\"<\/p>\n
The apparently spontaneous initiatives were inspired by
\nMegawati's supporters here, who staged a protest in front of the
\nparty headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro in Central Jakarta early
\nthis month.<\/p>\n
They demanded the government return the party headquarters --
\nsite of a violent takeover by Soerjadi followers on July 27, 1996
\n-- to Megawati's PDI leadership.<\/p>\n
The move immediately triggered similar actions nationwide.<\/p>\n
About 500 Megawati's supporters peacefully took over the PDI's
\nNorth Sumatra chapter headquarters from the pro-Soerjadi faction
\nin Medan last Saturday.<\/p>\n
Their colleagues in South Sumatra followed suit and took
\ncontrol over the party chapter's headquarters, located just north
\nof the provincial capital of Palembang, on Monday.<\/p>\n
Supporters in Riau province conducted the same action earlier
\nthis week.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, about 200 supporters of the eldest daughter of the
\ncountry's first president took over the party's Binjai branch
\noffice in North Sumatra Wednesday.<\/p>\n
On the same day, executives of Soerjadi's camp in Yogyakarta
\nsaid they were switching their support, effectively dissolving
\nSoerjadi's representation there and handing over the chapter
\noffice to Megawati's supporters.<\/p>\n
The government still recognizes Soerjadi as the party's chief.<\/p>\n
An invitation from Habibie to Megawati to meet was rejected
\nearlier this week. Officials close to her said she refused to
\nmeet the President until the government officially recognized her
\nas the legitimate chairperson of PDI. (imn\/har)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawatis-camp-denies-ordering-chapter-takeovers-1447893297",
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