Alex denies split in PDI Perjuangan
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) secretary-general Alex Litay denied on Monday reports of an escalating internal party rift ahead of the party's national congress.
"As far as I have observed there is no split in the party's elite this close to the congress. All party members, including Dimyati Hartono and Eros Djarot, have a right to be nominated party chief and to contend the election in accordance with the party's statutes," he said after delivering his opening speech at the congress of the Eastern Indonesia Younger Generation (GMIT) here on Monday.
He also said the party's South Jakarta branch could not block Eros from the race, saying that nominees would be determined during the congress.
"Party branches have no right to determine who should contend the election. They cannot prevent Eros or Dimyati from contending the election," he said.
Certain factions within the party are known to have taken measures in an attempt to block anyone running against incumbent chief Megawati Soekarnoputri in the election during the congress to be held in Semarang.
Eros, whose membership in the party was registered in South Jakarta, complained last week over the South Jakarta branch's recent decision to bar his nomination in the PDI Perjuangan leadership race.
Attempts to block alternative candidates have been deemed odd, particularly since no one doubts that Megawati will be reelected.
Eros has repeatedly said that he does not believe that Megawati is behind efforts to block his bid, but overzealous supporters.
Party sources told The Jakarta Post that the escalating feud between the "reformist" and "conservative" groups were deep.
"Roy B. Janis, chairman of the Jakarta chapter, Mangara Siahaan and Suparlan, both members of the executive board, are leading a 'success team' to reelect Megawati to the top party post," said the source, adding that Megawati's husband, Taufik Kiemas, was behind the team.
Another source said the presence of "politically uneducated hoodlums" in the party's executive board, regional and local branches and the House of Representatives, had prevented the party from adopting reform.
Internally there was also talk that moves had been taken to remove Dimyati as head of the PDI Perjuangan faction at the House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, executives of PDI Perjuangan's Research and Development Center have remained silent concerning the rift in the party, saying they have proposed suggestions to the executive board on how to solve the rift.
They admitted that their proposals had not been satisfactorily responded to.
The center's executives Sudirman, Sapto, Abadi Hutagalung and Cypri Aoer declined to comment, saying they did not want to be dragged into any rift.
"One of our tasks is to give input to the executive board and we have done it. If no action is taken to solve the rift it is not our fault," said Sudirman.
They also declined to comment on why Megawati had taken no initiative to resolve the rift.
Ahead of the congress, which begins on March 27, the party will hold a two-day seminar on regional autonomy.
"Besides collecting input from political and economic experts, the seminar is also aimed at correcting the misleading perception that regional autonomy is aimed at sharing power and money with provinces and regencies," he said without elaborating.
He merely added that PDI Perjuangan supported the regional autonomy plan in an endeavor to maintain national unity. (rms)