'Congress may resolve PDI rift'

'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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