PDI-P to sue rival party's chief for defamation<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is
\nconsidering filing a defamation suit against Prosperous Justice
\nParty (PKS) leader Hidayat Nurwahid.<\/p>\n
PDI-P lawyer Gayus Lumbun said on Tuesday that Hidayat, whose
\nparty has enjoyed a strong showing in the preliminary tally for
\nthe April 5 legislative election, defamed Megawati Soekarnoputri
\nboth as party leader and President when he told Tempo magazine
\nthat she sided with \"tricky people\".<\/p>\n
\"We are preparing the lawsuit, but for now we will only send
\nan official protest to Hidayat over his statement,\" Gayus said
\nafter attending the party's weekly meeting led by Megawati on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
In its April 12 edition, Tempo quoted Hidayat as saying that
\nMegawati sided with \"tricky people\" over the poor:<\/p>\n
\"Saya heran, Mega malah memihak konglomerat hitam. Mega juga
\nmembiarkan penzaliman terhadap 'Tempo' dan 'Koran Tempo' oleh
\nTommy Winata. Dia juga tidak memerintahkan pemeriksaan terhadap
\nJaksa Agung M.A. Rachman. Itulah sebabnya saya bilang Mega lebih
\nberpihak pada wong licik daripada wong cilik.\" (I am amazed that
\nMega is taking sides with black tycoons. Mega allows the assault
\non Tempo and Koran Tempo by Tommy Winata to take place. She does
\nnot order an investigation of Attorney General M.A. Rachman.
\nThat's the reason why I say that Mega sides with tricky people
\nrather than the poor.)<\/p>\n
Gayus said the statement constituted a violation of Law No.
\n12\/2002 on elections, which carries a maximum punishment of a
\nthree-month jail term, and the Criminal Code on insulting state
\nofficials.<\/p>\n
\"This is a criminal offense by Hidayat and also other party
\nleaders, and we will take legal action against them,\" Gayus said.<\/p>\n
Another PDI-P lawyer, Trimedya Panjaitan, said a similar
\noffense was committed by Freedom Bull National Party (PNBK)
\nleader Eros Djarot, who was once a member of Megawati's inner
\ncircle.<\/p>\n
\"We are gathering evidence to back up our legal position in
\nthese defamation cases,\" Trimedya said.<\/p>\n
Responding to the possibility that the PDI-P would file a
\nlawsuit against him, Hidayat told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday he
\nhad yet to receive any formal protest from the party over his
\nstatement in Tempo, but underlined that he would abide by the
\nlegal process.<\/p>\n
\"There are legal procedures that we have to follow, so let the
\npeople judge .... It is common to say 'wong licik and wong
\ncilik,'\" he said.<\/p>\n
With almost 70 percent of the vote counted, the PKS has
\nstunned many political pundits by garnering more than 7 percent
\nof the vote in the April 5 legislative election, up from less
\nthan 2 percent in the 1999 election.<\/p>\n
The PDI-P, on the other hand, has garnered barely 20 percent
\nof the votes counted so far, down from about 34 percent in the
\nlast elections, casting doubts over Megawati's chances in the
\nJuly 5 presidential election.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pdi-p-to-sue-rival-partys-chief-for-defamation-1447893297",
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