PDI seminar broken up<\/p>\n
SURABAYA: About 200 Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
\nactivists disrupted a seminar on the upcoming election organized
\nby intra-party rivals.<\/p>\n
The incident involved supporters of Latief Pudjosakti and
\nSutjipto, who each claim to be the legitimate chairman of the
\nparty's East Java chapter.<\/p>\n
The seminar, attended by students, party activists and labor
\nleaders, was sponsored by Sutjipto, who was appointed chapter
\nchief by PDI executive board chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
Latief's uninvited supporters swarmed the venue and took most
\nof the seats reserved for guests. They shouted, \"Stop, stop, get
\ndown\" when Sutjipto climbed onto the podium to open the
\ngathering.<\/p>\n
They insisted that Sutjipto had no right to claim he
\nrepresented the PDI because the government has not recognized
\neither him or Latief.<\/p>\n
Sutjipto left the podium after the situation heated up and was
\nrushed by his supporters into a waiting car as security officers
\nmoved in to prevent a physical clash.<\/p>\n
\"We had anticipated such chaos... I can't stop them (Latief's
\nsupporters) from coming over. The seminar is postponed until we
\ncan prepare it better,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The dispersion provoked strong protest from Sutjipto's
\nsupporters. They accused the local government, which is known to
\nbe sympathetic to Latief, of involvement in the incident.
\n(15\/pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pdi-seminar-broken-up-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}