{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1376715,
        "msgid": "the-governments-pdi-dilemma-1447893297",
        "date": "1998-09-29 00:00:00",
        "title": "The government's PDI dilemma",
        "author": null,
        "source": "JP",
        "tags": null,
        "topic": null,
        "summary": "The government's PDI dilemma There are signs that the government is deliberately making it difficult for the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) under the leadership of Megawati Soekarnoputri to obtain a permit to hold a congress. The government's excuse is that Megawati persists on using the name PDI -- a name which the government insists belongs to the PDI faction led by Budi Hardjono.",
        "content": "<p>The government's PDI dilemma<\/p>\n<p>There are signs that the government is deliberately making it<br>\ndifficult for the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) under the<br>\nleadership of Megawati Soekarnoputri to obtain a permit to hold a<br>\ncongress. The government's excuse is that Megawati persists on<br>\nusing the name PDI -- a name which the government insists belongs<br>\nto the PDI faction led by Budi Hardjono. Thus the only obstacle<br>\nthat is standing in the way of the Megawati faction's planned<br>\ncongress in Denpasar, Bali, next month, seems to be is its name.<\/p>\n<p>Is all this fuss, then, merely about a name? Surely not. It<br>\nseems that the present government is still averse to recognizing<br>\nMegawati's PDI faction. As we can see, the people who under the<br>\nold regime -- the New Order -- made things difficult for<br>\nMegawati, still dominate political policy-making in the Habibie<br>\ngovernment. Allowing the Megawati faction of the PDI to continue<br>\nto exist would mean reversing their achievement. Things are made<br>\nworse by the fact that there is every indication the PDI under<br>\nMegawati will grow and could thrash the party's government-<br>\nsupported Budi Hardjono faction in the coming general election.<\/p>\n<p>Actually -- if the government were to sincerely adopt an open<br>\nattitude, if it had a real intention to allow democracy to grow<br>\nnaturally and if it had no desire to maintain the status quo --<br>\nit should have nothing to fear from Megawati's PDI. Let the two<br>\nfactions compete in a healthy manner, let the nation test their<br>\ncommitment and let it decide which faction deserves to carry the<br>\nauthentic PDI label, which of the two is truly committed to<br>\nfighting for democracy.<\/p>\n<p>Still, we understand the government's fears. Megawati and her<br>\nassociates are not leaders to whom compromise comes easily, who<br>\ncan be willingly manipulated. Allowing them to hold their<br>\ncongress would be to strengthen the ranks of the opposition<br>\nagainst the government. The government is in a predicament about<br>\nwhat stance it should take with regard to the PDI congress. It is<br>\nlikely to be hit whichever way it turns. However, it would be an<br>\nact of stupidity for the government to repeat its old mistake.<\/p>\n<p>-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-governments-pdi-dilemma-1447893297",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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