'Congress may resolve PDI rift'

JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) declared yesterday that the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) could resolve its internal rift only through a congress.

"The best solution is for PDI to hold a congress, as it's in line with the party's statutes and it's demanded by a majority of its members," according to ABRI Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung.

Antara quoted the general as blaming the party's central executive board for disregarding the government's previously repeated calls that it solve its problems through dialog. "Yet nobody took up the calls," he said.

A group of 16 PDI party executives, led by senior legislator Fatimah Achmad, established a committee on June 4 to hold a congress which the splinter group claimed was demanded by 215 of a total 306 branches. The congress and chairman election is scheduled for June 20 to 24 in Medan, North Sumatra.

The camp of the incumbent party chief Megawati Soekarnoputri has, in a letter dated June 8, called on the government to prevent the congress from taking place. Feisal, however, said that Megawati's demand should be "observed from the party constitution's point of view".

"Not all requests should be granted," he said.

The civilian and military leaders' endorsement of the congress has grown day by day. For example, National Police Chief Lieut. Gen. Dibyo Widodo has reportedly said that he has yet to receive Megawati's request to ban the congress. However, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Nurfaizi has said that the police have agreed to the congress.

ABRI chief of General Affairs Lt. Gen. Soeyono said in Jambi yesterday that the military's presence was needed only to maintain security at the congress rather than interfere in the party's internal problems.

A similar endorsement was given by North Sumatra Governor Raja Inal Siregar who welcomed the splinter group's plan to hold the congress in Medan, despite the fact that he has yet to receive a request for permits from the committee.

Support for Megawati was meanwhile pouring in from a number of groups in society. Representatives of 30 non-governmental organizations yesterday pledged they would be behind Megawati in rejecting the planned congress.

Also yesterday, a number of Megawati's loyalists brought their grievances over the government's perceived impartiality to the National Commission on Human Rights

PDI secretary-general Alex Litaay, accompanied by several others, complained about "external elements' meddling" in the rift.

"The problem that PDI faces is no longer its own, but a problem of the nation," Litaay said. He criticized the government's double standard in the issue.

"The government has first recognized Megawati as the chief of the party, and now it's endorsing the congress (to challenge her leadership)," he said.

He also questioned the government's granting of a permit for the congress despite the fact that the proposal was not signed by chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri as stipulated in the party's statutes.

Haryanto Taslam, also a Megawati loyalist, questioned the legal grounds of the 1986 statutes used by Fatimah's camp to hold the congress.

He pointed out that the 1986's statutes had been replaced by others issued and approved during a national meeting in January 1994.

"Fatimah Achmad was a member of the team who decided in that meeting that the 1994's statutes were the valid ones," he said.

Fatimah has since argued that the 1994 statutes are not valid because they have not been approved at a national congress, a gathering which is superior to the national meeting.

Rights commission member Marzuki Darusman suggested the party leaders meet for a discussion. Quoting a recent statement of Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman, Marzuki said that "dialog is the only solution to the conflict".

"This statement is the essence of the government's stance on the PDI dispute," he said.

Commission secretary-general Baharuddin Lopa promised to discuss the PDI situation with the other commission members, which include Moslem scholar Nurcholish Madjid, senior lawyer and journalist Albert Hasibuan, Asmara Nababan and Clementino dos Reis Amaral. (imn/01)

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