PDI-P policy to back Edy, says councilor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A city councilor of the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) disclosed on Tuesday that the
\nparty's decision to back the Indonesian Military (TNI)\/Police
\nfaction candidate for City Council speaker was based on a
\n\"policy\" of the party chairwoman, Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
\"I got a phone call from Ibu Megawati this morning (Tuesday)
\nwho told me that the decision was her policy,\" the party faction
\nchairman, Tarmidi Suhardjo, told reporters at City Hall.<\/p>\n
Tarmidi, who is also a party candidate for City Council
\nspeaker, said he could not hide his personal disappointment over
\nthe results which led to the reappointment of Maj. Gen. Edy
\nWaluyo as City Council speaker.<\/p>\n
However, he added, he could fully understand his leader's
\ndecision as part of PDI Perjuangan's strategy to in return obtain
\none seat in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).<\/p>\n
Based on the vote counting results and composition of the
\nfaction's members, the city chapter of PDI Perjuangan, which won
\nthe recent general election, will take two of the five MPR seats
\navailable for Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The remaining three seats will be held by the TNI\/Police
\nfaction, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP).<\/p>\n
Unlike other factions, the TNI\/Police faction did not join the
\npoll.<\/p>\n
The five figures to represent Jakarta in Senayan will be
\nelected sometime next week.<\/p>\n
The new MPR members will choose the country's president in a
\nGeneral Assembly slated for November.<\/p>\n
Tarmidi said that a few minutes before Monday's plenary
\nsession started, all 30 PDI Perjuangan councilors still agreed to
\npick him as City Council speaker.<\/p>\n
The one man, one vote election was participated by 84
\ncouncilors.<\/p>\n
Councilors from PDI Perjuangan changed their mind when the
\nparty's city chapter chairman, Roy B.B. Janis, who attended the
\nsession as a guest, approached the councilors and asked them to
\nvote for Edy Waluyo, Tarmidi explained.<\/p>\n
He said Roy was accompanied by the party's city chapter
\nsecretary, Maringan Pangaribuan, who is also a city councilor, to
\ncarry out the task.<\/p>\n
The results were 40 votes for Edy Waluyo, 30 votes for Djafar
\nBadjeber of PPP, nine votes for Tarmidi and no votes for M.
\nSuwardi of PAN. Five votes were invalid.<\/p>\n
Half of the votes gained by Edy were from PDI Perjuangan
\nlegislators, Tarmidi said.<\/p>\n
He said the party's strategy was also aimed at blocking the
\ncandidacy of Djafar, who was from the \"axis force\" (Poros
\nTengah).<\/p>\n
\"You know that the axis force attempted to push Megawati out
\n(as a presidential candidate),\" Tarmidi said.<\/p>\n
Reaction, denial<\/p>\n
Besides a strong direct protest from dozens of PDI Perjuangan
\nsupporters on Monday, the party's controversial maneuver also
\nstunned many politicians, observers and even party supporters.<\/p>\n
The party headquarters in Lenteng Agung, South Jakarta, was
\nreportedly stoned by disappointed supporters on Monday night.<\/p>\n
Several of the party's security forces flattened the tires of
\nRoy's BMW sedan parked at the headquarters, Tarmidi said.<\/p>\n
But a deputy chairman of the party, Mochtar Buchori, insisted
\nthat the move was purely Roy's decision and had nothing to do
\nwith Ibu Megawati.<\/p>\n
Buchori quoted sources at the city's party chapter as saying
\nthat \"it was Roy who instructed the councilors to shift their
\nvote to Edy\".<\/p>\n
He added that the party headquarters remained unclear of Roy's
\nmotives.<\/p>\n
\"During a meeting this morning, Megawati also condemned the
\nmove and she asserted that she knew nothing about it,\" Buchori
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
When he was asked to comment, political observer Affan Gafar
\nsaid: \"Something is fishy here.\"<\/p>\n
\"It's impossible for any party to ignore the City Council
\nspeaker,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Affan speculated on the significant role of the \"old power\" in
\nMonday's maneuver at Jakarta City Council, referring to the New
\nOrder regime.<\/p>\n
\"The public and all party supporters will take note of this
\ncase. The implication might be seen in the next five years,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Researcher Syamsudin Harris from Indonesia's Institute of
\nScience (LIPI) said the incident indicated a sharp dissension
\namong members in the party's factions and chapters.<\/p>\n
\"By casting votes for a military representative, PDI
\nPerjuangan councilors obstructed the establishment of a civil
\nsociety. They allowed the military to take the lead in the
\npolitical arena, even though they know that the military is not
\ndemocratic,\" he said.<\/p>\n
City councilors from other factions smiled at the PDI
\nPerjuangan strategy.<\/p>\n
Another political observer, Nazaruddin Syamsudin, shared
\nHarris' view.<\/p>\n
\"The conflict was based on the dissatisfaction of councilors
\nover the party candidate who was nominated by the party
\nexecutives,\" he said. (asa\/jun\/bsr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pdi-p-policy-to-back-edy-says-councilor-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}