Dimyati discloses plan to resign from DPR, PDI-P

Dimyati discloses plan to resign from DPR, PDI-P

Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Legislator Dimyati Hartono has disclosed that he plans to tender
his resignation from the House of Representatives (DPR) and the
Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
faction, indicating worsening rifts and internal rivalry within
the party.

"I have been preparing to resign, and have been considering
some technical and non-technical issues," Dimyati said on Sunday.

Dimyati's plan to quit came after the earlier resignation by
legislator Sophan Sophiaan from the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) and the House, which was reportedly triggered by
the immense pressure brought to bear to force him to follow
certain policies outlined by the party's executive board.

Without giving details, Dimyati said he had written a letter
to President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who chairs the PDI
Perjuangan, to officially seek approval to resign from his
position as an advisor to the party faction, the biggest in the
House with 153 seats.

He said, as quoted by Antara, that he had long discussed his
possible resignation with fellow legislators, who were mostly
shocked by his intentions, but finally agreed that it was his
political right as a party member to make the decision.

Legislator Aberson Marle Sihaloho had earlier indicated that
PDI Perjuangan had coerced legislators into signing a written
statement declaring their allegiance to the party.

Aberson said he believed this was a form of coercion towards
legislators and only negated their role as people's
representatives.

Sophan Sophiaan himself, however, will continue as a member of
PDI Perjuangan.

Sophan's resignation from the House and the MPR came in the
wake of a split in the PDI Perjuangan over whether or not it
should support the setting up of a House special committee to
investigate House Speaker Akbar Tandjung, a suspect in a high
profile graft scandal involving Rp 54.b billion in funds
belonging to the State Logistics Agency (Bulog).

Dewi Fortuna Anwar of the National Institute of Sciences
(LIPI) said on Sunday that intense friction within parties was
the result of breakdowns in communication among legislators,
which eventually led to the resignation of legislators and severe
disappointment for constituents.

She added that such intense rivalry and friction was not only
hurting PDI Perjuangan, but also Golkar and the United
Development Party (PPP).

While a splinter group from PPP has recently established a
separate party called PPP Reform, Golkar has reportedly split
into a number of rival camps, led separately by Akbar Tandjung,
MPR deputy speaker Ginandjar Kartasasmita, senior Golkar member
A.A. Baramuli and Golkar member Marzuki Darusman.

Golkar concluded its three-day congress here on Friday with
unanimous support for Akbar to serve out his full term until
2004. Akbar recently suspended 19 Golkar members, one of whom had
been outspoken in his demands for Akbar's removal as Golkar party
chief.

A number of legislators had earlier admitted that they were
not working in the interests of the people at large, but blamed
their alienation from the people on the electoral system.