Reformists ready to show Mega the door<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Branding themselves a movement to reform the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), prominent members
\nof the party joined forces on Monday to bring an end to the
\ndomination of incumbent leader Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
The movement, led by businessman-cum-politician Arifin
\nPanigoro, said that if the party wished to transform itself into
\na modern political party that would stand the test of time,
\nreform-minded members had to join the drive to release Megawati's
\ngrip on the party's structure.<\/p>\n
\"The party congress scheduled for March, will be the right
\ntime to propose the discarding of so many of Megawati's
\nprerogatives. She must no longer be given the sole authority to
\nappoint members of the central board,\" said Arifin who drew
\napplause from hundreds of the party members who attended the
\ndeclaration of the movement at the Sahid Jaya Hotel.<\/p>\n
Other top party cadres who attended the function were PDI-P
\ncentral board member Roy B.B. Janis, former state minister for
\nstate enterprises Laksamana Sukardi, PDI Perjuangan legislator
\nand Megawati's younger brother Guruh Soekarnoputra, and secretary
\nof the new movement Didi Supriyanto.<\/p>\n
Two initiators of the movement, former minister of national
\ndevelopment planning\/chairman of the National Planning Agency
\n(Bappenas) Kwik Kian Gie and party dissident Sophan Sophiaan, did
\nnot show up at the meeting.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan is to hold a national congress in late March
\nwith the main agenda of electing a new chairperson and to review
\nits programs following its defeat in the recent legislative and
\npresidential elections.<\/p>\n
Arifin also said that Megawati's poor showing in the 2004
\npresidential election was striking evidence that the bulk of the
\nparty's constituents no longer supported her.<\/p>\n
The movement also sought to strengthen the party's central
\nboard which is now manned by a small number of Megawati's close
\nconfidants, including Sutjipto and Pramono Anung.<\/p>\n
\"The party is too big to be left in the hands of a small
\nnumber of people,\" Arifin said.<\/p>\n
Arifin also announced his resignation from the House, saying
\nthat he did not have enough time citing his business activities
\nas the main reason.<\/p>\n
Roy, who also served as chairman of the congress organizing
\ncommittee, said the movement would seek to propose a radical
\nchange in the mechanism to elect a new party leader.<\/p>\n
\"We have drawn up a proposal to bring democracy to the
\nparty... and I will feel deeply guilty if I failed to bring about
\nsuch a change,\" Roy said.<\/p>\n
The reform movement, however, would only seek an end to
\nMegawati's executive power in the party as it did not want to
\nremove her from the country's second largest party but plans to
\noffer her a possible position on the party's steering council --
\na new body designed to supervise the work of party executives.<\/p>\n
The movement has also named several party cadres to be
\nproposed to replace Megawati. They include Guruh, Kwik,
\nLaksamana, Sophan and Roy.<\/p>\n
Political analyst Syamsuddin Haris of the Indonesian Institute
\nof Sciences (LIPI) said that the emergence of the reform movement
\nwithin the party was an indication that it was at the crossroads
\nof wanting to preserve old values and of embracing the principles
\nof democracy.<\/p>\n
\"Megawati is both a burden and a blessing for PDI Perjuangan.
\nWithout her it is doubtful that it will garner the bulk of votes
\nin the next elections, however her domination has been allowed at
\nthe expense of much-needed reform,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/reformists-ready-to-show-mega-the-door-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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