Cracks show within Lampung's PDI Perjuangan

Cracks show within Lampung's PDI Perjuangan

Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandar Lampung

Another political rebellion has emerged from the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), with several party
officials in Lampung defying orders from the party's executive
branch regarding the province's gubernatorial candidates.

In a decree issued by PDI Perjuangan chairwoman Megawati
Soekarnoputri, the party's local chapter has been ordered to
support Oemarsono, the outgoing governor from the Golkar Party as
a gubernatorial candidate, and Syamsuria Ryacudu, the brother of
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu, as a deputy
gubernatorial candidate.

However, a number of legislators in the party's local chapter
have defied the decree and nominated Alzier Dianis Thabranie as a
gubernatorial candidate and Ansory Yunus as a deputy
gubernatorial candidate.

"We agreed to nominate the last pair since they have won the
support of locals, mostly party members," Lampung PDI Perjuangan
chapter chairman Abbas Hadisunyoto said on Saturday.

He further accused the legislators of taking bribes from the
candidates in support for their nomination.

"We did not take any bribes, that accusation is groundless,"
Abbas said.

President Megawati, through the decree, warned against a
political rebellion, saying that the party would nominate only
one gubernatorial candidate and one deputy gubernatorial
candidate and those ignoring the decree would suffer party
sanctions.

But several party figures and legislators disappointed with
the party's policy have ignored the decree and called on the
party to listen to the public's political aspirations instead of
their personal interests.

"We protest the order, because we had decided on other
candidates. We will not support Oemarsono," the party's North
Lampung branch chairman, Hendro Prianto, said.

Megawati was widely criticized when she supported the
nomination of Sutiyoso in the recent Jakarta gubernatorial
election. Sutiyoso is accused of playing a major role in the
bloody takeover of PDI Perjuangan headquarters on July 27, 1996,
in which hundreds of Megawati's supporters were believed to have
been killed.

The party also supported the nomination of Golkar legislator
Nurdin Halid in the South Sulawesi gubernatorial election for
unclear reasons. Nurdin was defeated in the election.

Megawati's choices have been similar to those of either the
Indonesian Military (TNI) or Golkar Party, two opponents of the
reform drive.

Separately, a political analyst from Lampung University,
Nanang Trenggono, said that the party's internal rift may hamper
the reelection of Oemarsono as governor.

A protest opposing Oemarsono's reelection has been held in
Bandar Lampung over the past few days, with demonstrators vowing
to continue rallies against him.

The protesters urged local councillors to take Oemarsono's
name off the candidate list.