PDI split on controversial House exit plan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government-recognized leadership of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party (PDI) was split yesterday on a
\ncontroversial plan to relinquish its House of Representatives
\nseats won in last Thursday's general election.<\/p>\n
PDI Secretary-General Buttu Hutapea said the party's post-
\nelection leadership meeting had been extended until today to make
\na final decision.<\/p>\n
\"We heard reports on election violations in the provinces
\nthroughout the day, but we have not started talks on measures we
\nwill take in response to our findings,\" Buttu said.<\/p>\n
The party's Central Sulawesi chief Abdul Manaf Latjambo said
\nthe party leaders had released a provisional directive for no
\nbranches to approve election results in their respective
\nprovinces, pending a decision by the national leadership.<\/p>\n
Buttu denied that the marathon plenary meeting, chaired by
\nparty leader Soerjadi, had included discussions on the plan to
\nquit the House.<\/p>\n
Deputy chairman Ismunandar, Jakarta chief Loekman Mokoginta
\nand his South Sulawesi counterpart Andi Hasit were the meeting's
\nmajor absentees. Loekman and Ismunandar were on a trip to Germany
\nwith fellow city councilors and Andi was sick.<\/p>\n
With ballot counting almost at an end, PDI has managed to win
\nonly 10 seats, one shy of minimum representation in the House.<\/p>\n
It was obvious, however, that some provincial leaders
\nattending the meeting supported the exit plan despite Buttu's
\nstatement.<\/p>\n
Latjambo was one of the party figures favoring the plan. He
\nsaid that a move to leave PDI's House seats vacant would force
\nthe government to examine its own electoral system that had
\nfailed to uphold fair play in the elections.<\/p>\n
A source said the Jakarta, Central Java, Yogyakarta and North
\nSumatra offices had joined the chorus demanding an early PDI exit
\nfrom the House.<\/p>\n
East Timor branch chief Gabriel Da Costa represented those who
\nopposed the idea to pull out of the House, saying it was not the
\nproper means to protest the government over election
\nirregularities.<\/p>\n
Deputy chairman Budi Hardjono said as of yesterday evening
\nnone of the branches had officially called on the leadership to
\nrelinquish the party's House seats.<\/p>\n
He admitted that supporters of the party's ousted leader
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri not voting PDI was one of the key reasons
\nbehind the PDI annihilation. Megawati announced a week before
\nlast Thursday's polls that she would not vote.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, General Elections Committee Secretary-
\nGeneral, Suryatna Subrata, told the undermanned PDI not to waste
\nits House seats.<\/p>\n
He said: \"The PDI's decision to relinquish its House seats
\nwill disappoint its supporters who voted for it.<\/p>\n
\"The PDI central board should think it over carefully before
\nmaking such a decision.\"<\/p>\n
Speaking about Golkar chairman Harmoko's offer to hand over
\nthe unallocated seats to PDI, Suryatna said it was not regulated
\nin the electoral laws.<\/p>\n
\"There must have been prior agreement between the three poll
\ncontestants when each of them submitted their list of provisional
\nlegislative candidates for such a course of action to be taken,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
When asked about some United Development Party branches'
\nthreat not to sign the official election results report, Suryatna
\nsaid it would not cause any problems for the general elections
\ninstitute.<\/p>\n
\"The official general election result reports will be
\nvalidated by each provincial or regency office of the general
\nelections committee. They have nothing to do with any party's
\nchapter or branch chairman,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The provincial and regency offices of the general elections
\ncommittee consist of government and military officials as well as
\nrepresentatives of the three contestants. (imn\/amd)<\/p>",
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