Scholar urges PDI to field new condidate in East Java<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Political scientist Riswandha Imawan
\nunderlined the need for a \"third party\" to resolve the crisis at
\nthe East Java chapter of the Indonesia Democratic Party (PDI) and
\navoid government intervention.<\/p>\n
\"It would be good if a caretaker leadership was formed to
\nresolve the impasse,\" said the staff lecturer at Yogyakarta's
\nGadjah Mada University.<\/p>\n
Speaking to The Jakarta Post on Saturday, Riswandha suggested
\nthat PDI chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri accept a compromise
\nin her choice of nomination to the party's disputed East Java
\nleadership.<\/p>\n
\"This would be a temporary solution to avoid intervention by
\nEast Java Governor Basofi Soedirman, including the possibility
\nthat the government freeze all PDI activities in East Java,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The PDI leadership in East Java has been split into two camps
\nfor the past year. One camp is lead by Soetjipto, who was
\nappointed by the central executive board in Jakarta. The other is
\nlead by Latief Pudjosakti, a former chapter chairman and an
\nopponent of Megawati's national chairmanship.<\/p>\n
The East Java administration, under Governor Basofi Soedirman,
\nhas recognized neither Soetjipto nor Latief. Given the
\nadministration's position, police said they would not permit any
\nof the contesting leaders to hold any activity bearing the
\nparty's name until the leadership conflict is resolved.<\/p>\n
This has meant preventing Megawati from going to Surabaya to
\ninstall Soetjipto as the chairman of the East Java chapter.<\/p>\n
Riswandha suggested the possibility of assigning a new
\ntemporary leader in East Java to resolve the on-going split which
\nhas threatened to undermine PDI's effectiveness with the general
\nelections just one year away.<\/p>\n
He said the new candidate should be someone from the central
\nboard who does not have a strong base of supporters in East Java,
\nor even an East Javanese who now resides in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, he acknowledged that selecting a candidate would
\nbe no easy task. \"Especially since alliances within the party
\nchange so quickly. It's pretty hard to read the political map
\nwith all these sudden changes,\" he remarked.<\/p>\n
Another alternative would be the establishment of a collective
\nleadership which pools elements from both sides.<\/p>\n
Riswandha believes that such a leadership remains a viable
\noption as long as it does not create a new alliance and function
\nas a separate political actor.<\/p>\n
According to Riswandha, the crisis in East Java is not
\naltogether unexpected since the province offers the highest
\nnumber of seats in the legislature.<\/p>\n
East Java has the highest number of regencies with 37,
\nfollowed by Central Java with 35 and West Java with 26.<\/p>\n
Separately, legislator M. Hatta from the Armed Forces faction
\nechoed President Soeharto's recent call for compromise and a
\namiable solution to the rift.<\/p>\n
\"If the chairperson of the central executive board of PDI can
\ncarry out the president's call, then this would be a very
\nsympathetic gesture. On the other hand, if PDI doesn't heed the
\ncall it would be extremely regrettable,\" he told the Post.
\n(har\/mds)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/scholar-urges-pdi-to-field-new-condidate-in-east-java-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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