PDI board urged to sue meddling government<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A senior legislator urged the executive board of
\nthe Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) yesterday to settle it's
\nconflict with the government over the East Java leadership rift
\nin court.<\/p>\n
Aberson Marle Sihaloho proposed that the PDI sue President
\nSoeharto, Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. and East Java
\ngovernor Basofi Soedirman at the State Administrative court.<\/p>\n
The officials, Aberson said, should be charged with
\ndisrespecting the PDI's internal rules, on the pretext that the
\ngovernment is the \"patron\" of domestic political development.<\/p>\n
\"The government has no right to dismiss a political
\norganization's rules and declare them invalid. Beside, the decree
\nit uses as the legal basis for it's role as the patron of
\npolitical development is questionable,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The minority party and the government have been at odds after
\nBasofi rejected PDI chief Megawati Soekarnoputri's appointment of
\nSutjipto as the party's East Java chapter in 1994 to replace the
\noutgoing Latief Pudjosakti.<\/p>\n
The conflict has been deepening after Basofi excluded the PDI
\nfrom the East Java electoral committee because both Sutjipto and
\nLatief claimed they are the legitimate local party chief.<\/p>\n
While Megawati insists that there is no problem with the East
\nJava party leadership, the government maintains that her decision
\nto name Sutjipto is invalid.<\/p>\n
Aberson, known as a supporter of Megawati, pointed out that
\nthe President, the minister and the governor should be sued all
\ntogether, to find out who is in fact responsible.<\/p>\n
\"So far, the minister and the governor have kept saying that
\nthey were just taking orders,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that a 1986 government decree used as the legal
\nbasis for the legitimization of the minister as the patron in
\npolitical development is questionable.<\/p>\n
\"The 1985 law on political organizations does not empower the
\nminister in this way. Now let's have the State Administrative
\nCourt decides whose interpretation is right,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction in the House
\nexpressed concern over the dispute and called on PDI executives
\nand relevant government officials to make peace.<\/p>\n
\"It's disheartening to see both sides rigidly sticking to
\ntheir positions,\" faction chief Suparman Achmad told journalists.<\/p>\n
Suparman suggested that the opposing camps call in a neutral
\nmediator to seek the best solution. (pan)<\/p>\n
Editorial -- Page 4<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pdi-board-urged-to-sue-meddling-government-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }