Dimyati solicits political support from Rachmawati

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After resigning from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Dimyati Hartono is now seeking political support for his plan to establish a new party.

Dimyati, a senior member of PDI Perjuangan, met Rachmawati Soekarnoputri on Wednesday to discuss her possible involvement in his planned party -- My Indonesian Motherhood Party (PITA).

Rachmawati is the sister of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is also chairperson of PDI Perjuangan.

Rachmawati and Megawati are potential vote getters as they are daughters of the popular first Indonesian president Sukarno.

After a one-hour meeting, Rachmawati told reporters that she had been informed that Dimyati would form a new party and she had even perused the party's statutes.

She said that she was interested in the proposal, saying that she and Dimyati held the same vision to save the country, which was currently mired by a multidimensional crisis.

"We hold the same vision, namely nationalism. We will keep the Republic of Indonesia united, safeguard the Constitution and state ideology Pancasila and support world peace," she said during an informal meeting with Dimyati and reporters held at Bung Karno University in Central Jakarta.

However, she underscored that she needed to thoroughly study Dimyati's proposal.

"I am still thinking whether I will join the party," she said.

Rachmawati has publicly declared her opposition to Megawati on several occasions, saying that she and Dimyati were altogether disappointed by PDI Perjuangan.

"PDI Perjuangan has violated its past commitments," she said.

PDI Perjuangan was previously committed to safeguarding the Constitution, but currently executives of the party have supported the amendment of some articles in the Constitution, she said.