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.