PDI-P seeks Tarmidi's dismissal<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri in her capacity as the
\nchairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan), signed a letter urging the dismissal of Tarmidi
\nSuhardjo from his position as City Council deputy speaker.<\/p>\n
The letter was issued on Tuesday, two days before the City
\nCouncil is due to elect someone to fill the position of speaker,
\nwhich was left vacant by Edi Waluyo who quit in order to take
\npart in last September's gubernatorial race.<\/p>\n
Tarmidi's fate as deputy speaker will be decided during a
\nplenary session of the City Council before the holding of the
\nelection for speaker.<\/p>\n
The PDI Perjuangan faction on the council has offered the
\nposition to Agung Imam Sumanto, a party councillor who is loyal
\nto Megawati and is a strong supporter of Governor Sutiyoso.<\/p>\n
The PDIP's move is designed to punish Tarmidi, who went
\nagainst party policy by taking part in the gubernatorial race
\nlast September, although the party had named Sutiyoso as its sole
\ngubernatorial candidate.<\/p>\n
\"Yes, it's a punishment as I was considered to be going
\nagainst party policy,\" Tarmidi said when asked to comment on the
\nPDI Perjuangan executive board's letter.<\/p>\n
Tarmidi took part in the gubernatorial race after he was
\nselected during a meeting of the PDI Perjuangan's Jakarta
\nchapter. But his candidacy was rejected by Megawati as she had
\nnominated Sutiyoso as her party's candidate for the Jakarta
\ngovernorship.<\/p>\n
Megawati ignored strong protests from PDI Perjuangan
\nsupporters who refused to accept Sutiyoso's candidacy as he was
\none of the suspects in the July 27 incident in 1996 when
\nsupporters of Soerjadi -- Megawati's political rival -- backed by
\nthe military and police, attacked her supporters in the PDIP
\nheadquarters on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta. A number of
\npeople were killed and wounded during the attack.<\/p>\n
Tarmidi used to be a strong supporter of Megawati. He was
\njailed from 1997 to 1998 under the Soeharto regime after he and
\nother supporters led a demonstration against the authoritarian
\nformer president. He was accused of violating the subversion law,
\nwhich has since been revoked.<\/p>\n
His political advancement in the party was rapid and he was
\nsuccessively appointed the party's chairman of Kebon Pala
\nsubdistrict office in Kebon Pala, East Jakarta, between 1978-
\n1988, deputy chairman of the party's Kramat Jati district office
\nin East Jakarta from 1988-1994, the party's East Jakarta office
\nhead from 1994-2000, and the party's Jakarta chapter head from
\n2000-2005.<\/p>\n
Tarmidi was dismissed from his position as the chairman of the
\nPDI Perjuangan Jakarta chapter on Oct. 11, 2002, a month after
\nthe gubernatorial election.<\/p>\n
Tarmidi said that the dismissal was unfair as he was never
\ngiven an opportunity to explain why he took part in the
\ngubernatorial race. He said that if the party's candidate had not
\nbeen Sutiyoso, he might have withdrawn his candidature.<\/p>\n
\"It was actually part of an effort on my part to save the
\nparty as the party's grassroots could not accept Sutiyoso's
\ncandidacy. I didn't want them to leave the party because their
\naspirations were not being heeded,\" he argued.<\/p>\n
But he added that he did not regret what he had done.<\/p>\n
The decision of the PDI Perjuangan's executive board to urge
\nTarmidi's removal as deputy speaker was made at a party's meeting
\non Tuesday. The letter, which was received by Tarmidi at 11 p.m.
\non Tuesday, was signed by Megawati, party secretary-general
\nSutjipto and the party's deputy chairman Gunawan Wirosardjono.<\/p>\n
Tubagus Haryokarbianto, a legal expert from the Jakarta Legal
\nAid Institute (LBH Jakarta), said Megawati's letter did not
\nautomatically remove Tarmidi as the deputy speaker of the City
\nCouncil.<\/p>\n
He said his position as the City Council's deputy speaker was
\nstipulated in a decree of the home minister, which could not be
\nannulled by a letter from a party chairperson.<\/p>",
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