Reformists may form splinter PDI-P<\/p>\n
Dwi Atmanta and M. Taufiqqurahman, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) will likely
\nbe rattled by a major split, as senior party members opposed to
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri's leadership are preparing for a breakaway
\ncongress, claiming the current meeting lacks legitimacy.<\/p>\n
The squabbling may lead to the formation of a new party, a
\nmove that could further undermine PDI-P's efforts to recover from
\nits defeats in the 2004 legislative and presidential elections.<\/p>\n
Senior party member Sukowaluyo Mintoharjo said the reformist
\ncamp within the party would form a board of executives, who will
\n\"manage and organize the interests of party members demanding
\nsweeping reforms\".<\/p>\n
\"We will decide in the next few days whether to hold a rival
\ncongress, pending our legal measures against the ongoing
\ncongress, which we consider illegitimate,\" Sukowaluyo announced
\nduring a press conference on Tuesday at the Sanur Beach Hotel,
\ntwo kilometers away from the Grand Bali Beach Hotel, the venue of
\nthe official congress.<\/p>\n
Also present at the press conference were Laksamana Sukardi,
\nImam Mundijat, Didi Supriyanto and Mochtar Buchori. The
\nconference followed a gathering of the reform camp, which saw a
\nnumber of congress participants vent their anger against PDI-P
\nleader Megawati.<\/p>\n
The group's team of lawyers led by R.O. Tambunan filed a
\nlawsuit with the Denpasar District Court against the legitimacy
\nof the congress later in the day. Around 60 congress participants
\nfrom various provinces lent their support for the legal action.<\/p>\n
Although the seeds of an internal conflict have been
\ngerminating for months before the five-day congress began on
\nMonday, the reformists lost their trust in the PDI-P leadership
\nand the congress after the central board pushed for a bloc vote
\nmechanism to elect the party's leader for the next five years.<\/p>\n
The controversial decision was made during a plenary meeting
\nheld behind closed doors on Monday night, which saw 24
\nrepresentatives from Papua walk out as they demanded a one-
\nperson, one-vote format.<\/p>\n
Imam, as well as other party members from the reform camp,
\naccused the central board of violating the party's statutes --
\npassed during the 2000 congress -- by restricting regional
\nrepresentatives' right to vote.<\/p>\n
Article 21 of the statutes does not specifically regulate the
\nvoting mechanism. But it does state that all representatives are
\nbound by the decisions made during conventions in their
\nrespective regional offices prior to the congress.<\/p>\n
Imam said the group would approach all of the party's founding
\nmembers and ask them to revoke their mandate for the congress due
\nto the alleged violations.<\/p>\n
\"If we manage to convince at least 40 out of 67 party
\nfounders, we will have a strong basis to annul the congress,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He suggested that all congress members compile violations of
\nthe party statutes and those supporting the reform to support the
\nlegal measures to prevent the central board from dismissing them.<\/p>\n
\"We are in the process of a 'divorce'. While the legal process
\nis underway, the central board has no right to expel us from the
\nstructure or the legislative bodies,\" Imam said.<\/p>\n
In his emotional testimony, a representative from Pare-pare in
\nSouth Sulawesi, Dharmawangsa, said his compassion for Megawati
\nhad turned to hatred after he was prevented from protesting the
\nbloc vote mechanism on Monday night.<\/p>\n
\"Once our rights were restricted by an authoritarian
\ngovernment, now it is our 'friends' who oppress us,\" he told the
\naudience. With the plan to organize a breakaway congress
\ngathering pace, Laksamana said his bid for the leadership post
\nwould be put on hold.<\/p>\n
\"I will not talk about the chances of winning the post, at
\nleast until the procedure is revised,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The reform group has nominated Laksamana, the state
\nenterprises minister in then president Megawati's Cabinet from
\n2001 to 2004, deputy leader Roy B.B. Janis and Megawati's brother
\nGuruh Soekarnoputra. But the group also is proposing a presidium
\ncomprised of those three figures to lead the party.<\/p>\n
Responding to the group's move, deputy PDI-P secretary Pramono
\nAnung said the current congress is the only legitimate forum
\nbecause it has been attended by representatives from all of the
\nparty's regional offices. \"Those who dare to stage a rival
\ncongress will face disciplinary actions from the party.\"<\/p>\n
Megawati was first selected to lead the party in 1993 -- at
\nthe time it was called the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI). The
\nnationalist-oriented party was split in 1994, following a
\nSoeharto-inspired move aimed at deposing Megawati from the party
\nleadership. The bulk of the party supporters, however, stood
\nbehind Megawati, who eventually became president in 2001.<\/p>\n
The demand for sweeping reforms comes after the party lost
\nboth the legislative and presidential elections. The reform group
\nblamed her leadership style for the double defeat.<\/p>",
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