Activists set up new political party

JAKARTA (JP): A group of student activists announced yesterday the formation of a new political party, the People's Democratic Party, defying the law and the government.

The activists and some government critics, including Sri Bintang Pamungkas, met at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute to announce the new party. Many of the activists have been accused of masterminding riots and strikes.

In May, Bintang established his own party, the Indonesian Democratic Union Party.

"We are not seeking government recognition," said Budiman Sujadmiko, chairman of the new party. "We establish this party because Indonesian politics are deteriorating. The room to move has gotten smaller...look at what's happening to the Indonesian Democratic Party."

The youths unofficially founded the party two years ago. It has been involved in many pro-democracy activities, and has openly backed strikes in Surabaya, Surakarta and several other cities.

"We're going to conduct 'extra-parliamentary' activities, such as political campaigns, seminars, discussions and mass activities aimed at demanding that the 1985 law on politics, and the Armed Forces' sociopolitical role be revoked," said Budiman, a dropout of Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University's School of Economics

The party elected Petrus H. Hariyanto, a graduate of Semarang- based Diponegoro University's School of Letters, as its secretary-general.

Petrus said the party acts as an umbrella for a number of organizations such as the Indonesian Students Solidarity for Democracy and the Indonesian Association of Workers Movement. The organizations have reportedly established 41 branches across the country. (16/swe)