1,000 officers will protect Soerjadi's PDI congress
1,000 officers will protect Soerjadi's PDI congress
JAKARTA (JP): National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Roesmanhadi said
no special protection would be accorded to participants of the
Soerjadi-led Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) congress in Palu,
Central Sulawesi, but confirmed that 1,000 police officers would
be deployed to safeguard the event which begins Wednesday.
"There will be no specific security measures to protect PDI
officials attending the congress," Roesmanhadi told reporters
after attending a limited monthly cabinet meeting on political
and security affairs yesterday.
"All measures taken will follow standard procedures."
Asked about the security for the gathering, the general said:
"Insya Allah (God willing), we can do our job well. We will,
therefore, deploy 1,000 police officers to safeguard the event."
The five-day congress is slated to be opened by Minister of
Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid on behalf of President B.J. Habibie on
Tuesday.
It is the first congress since the controversial government-
backed PDI congress in 1996 which saw the ouster of Megawati
Soekarnoputri from the party leadership and started a bitter feud
within the party.
Some Megawati supporters have announced that they would attend
the congress to persuade participants to abandon the event, while
others have sworn to disrupt the meeting.
Roesmanhadi called on party members from both camps yesterday
to avoid violence.
He declined to comment when asked whether police would
consider revoking its permit for the congress if the likelihood
of physical conflict became imminent.
"It (the congress) is not meant to create a clash, right? So,
let's hope that everything will go on well," he said.
Megawati's image
A similar call also came from Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada
University political analyst Riswandha Imawan, who warned that
Megawati's image could be damaged if her supporters created
trouble at the congress.
Megawati herself has not made a formal call or expressed any
wish to disrupt the congress.
"The military will put the blame on Megawati if there is an
outbreak during the congress," Riswandha said. "Such an incident
would justify necessary military action to intervene in the
congress."
Meanwhile, five leading officials of pro-Soerjadi PDI Central
Java chapters yesterday confirmed they would participate in the
congress.
Antara quoted Suratal, chief of PDI's Central Java chapter
loyal to Megawati, as saying that the five officials were pro-
Soerjadi PDI Central Java chapter chief Soemario, deputy chief
Bambang Mintoko, secretary Soewardi Wiryo Atmojo, Central Java
provincial legislative council PDI secretary Bantu Sunaryo and
PDI legislator Sumarno.
Suratal said 33 of PDI's 35 Central Java branches had decided
not to attend the congress. The two that will attend are the
Jepara and Surakarta chapters.
Pro-Soerjadi South Sulawesi PDI chapters have said they would
send a delegation by boat to the congress.
Head of the South Sulawesi office of the directorate-general
of sociopolitical affairs, Dick Darnadi, confirmed that the local
administration would provide Rp 5 million (US$427.40) for
accommodations during the congress. (edt/23/30/44/imn)